


Louder than Words

by Averno



Category: Supergirl (TV 2015) RPF
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-03-28
Updated: 2017-03-29
Packaged: 2018-10-12 04:53:21
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 11
Words: 22,513
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10482504
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Averno/pseuds/Averno
Summary: Fake Dating AU. Or the one where Lena and Kara team up to track down Roulette and things get a little more intense then they thought they would





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> So this is just literature ripped off and made gay. It's not very good, but any credit goes to mm's 1936 book. I'm also dyslexic and lazy, so its riddled with spelling errors. Enjoy!

Supergirl fidgeted on the podium. Before her swarmed a sea of reporters and guests in black tie-apparel, all with their eyes glued to National City’s famous hero. The sounds of thousands of heartbeats and whispered voices rocked against Kara’s sensitive ears, and she hid a wince as she drew a deep breath.

 

 _You can do this Kara_ , she reminded herself sternly, _it’s just a speech_. She closed her eyes for a second and when she opened them again a wave of confidence surged through her. With her hands on her hips, Kara stepped forward to the microphone, a glittering smile on her lips. “Thank you all for coming out tonight and supporting National City’s first ever charity gala for Institute of Noetic Sciences.”

 

Supergirl’s eyes scanned the crowd warmly as she talked, blue depths just barely masking the steel underlying her gaze as she desperately searched for Roulette in the audience.

 

“Science, and especially the Noetic Sciences, are a fundamental part of what makes National City the vibrant, cultured community that we all know and love.”

 

Kara’s mind briefly flashed back to last night when she had spent twenty minuets desperately googling what Noetic Science meant after the DEO had informed her of their plan to infiltrate tonight’s event in order to search for the recently escaped Roulette who was believed to be at the gathering. J’onn had decided that putting Kara up front on center stage would give the hero not just the chance to expose herself to Roulette and hopefully draw the woman out, but to also watch the crowds for sign of the enigmatic villain. Everything was riding on Kara’s speech, and the hero still had no idea what Noetic even meant.

 

Kara’s thoughts wandered briefly to pot-stickers and pizza, but after each digression her voice redoubled in charm and she tossed her hair back, determined to present the audience with the picture of an interested hero.

 

“As Plato once said, ‘Good actions give strength to ourselves and inspire good actions in others’ so just by being here tonight, your presence has ensured a brighter future for National City’s sciences”

 

 _Oh Rao, Plato? Really? Who wrote this speech? J’onn?_ Kara resisted the urge to roll her eyes, hoping none of the guests could read the disinterest threating to spill from her face. But as she swept her gaze over the assembly once more, all she caught were the enraptured faces of those around her. Maxwell Lord was standing with a half forgotten glass of champagne in one hand, his face blazing with a high-hearted look, refusing to be displaced by the jostling of those around him. Winn was seated near the front row, leaning so far forward he nearly fell off his chair, twice. Even James was drinking in her words as if he could never hear enough.

_God why do I have to be so different,_ Kara thought, wishing she could feel the same way about her speech as her audience, whishing that there was something out there that could captivate her in the same way.

 

“In raising funds tonight, your money goes towards the construction of a state of the art molecular-noetic lab in National City’s newest district—“

 

With another carefully concealed sweep through the people in front of her, Kara’s eyes met a pair of vivid green emeralds looking back at her with none of the enraptured daze of the other guests, but rather with a cool indifference that made Kara suddenly conscious of how short her super-skirt was.

 

_Lena._

 

Kara blushed and yanked the edge of her costume down a little lower. Lena’s eyes followed the movement and one eyebrow went up and one corner of her mouth went down suggestively, a slow smirk spreading over her angular face.

 

“And, um, National City needs the-the sciences…”

 

Lena tilted her long neck back and ran a hand slowly, deliberately through her long, dark hair.

 

Kara faltered. She knocked over a glass of water clumsily. There was a pause as the spell which had captivated the audience broke suddenly, the enraptured gazes of the guests slowly coming back to reality at Kara’s stuttered apologies and hasty conclusion. “And, yup, learning is important and refreshments and appetizers are over by the gazebo. Ok. Bye.”

 

Supergirl beat a hasty retreat to the tents spread with tables of food, her chest fuming with embarrassment and frustration. Why did Lena always stare at her like that? Like she knew what Kara looked like without her clothes on? And now Kara had messed up her speech and any chance she had at finding Roulette.

 

Kara gave a huff and moved quickly to the nearest plate of doughnuts. If she had no chance of catching Roulette at least she could still enjoy a few treats—maybe that way the night wouldn’t be a total loss. She didn’t even want to think of the lecture J’onn would give her until after her sixth or maybe seventh pastry.

 

She was mid-bite on her third one when she looked up to see a grinning Lena smoothly making her way towards her.

 

Kara gulped and turned around quickly, determined to escape to the bathroom before Lena could find her. But her cape snagged on an iron table leg. She yanked furiously at the fabric, silently cursing Winn for making a material that couldn’t rip.

 

“Allow me,” Lena drawled near her, her fingers deftly untangling the red cloth in an instant. “That was quiet the speech Supergirl, but I couldn’t help but notice you seemed a little….distracted.”

 

Kara turned towards her with a neck stained red with anger and mortification. “You know exactly why I was distracted. I was looking at you! You-you ruined my speech!”

 

Lena’s smile deepened, “I had no idea I had such an impacting affect on you.”

 

“That’s not what I meant! Why you—“ Kara paused, she couldn’t even think of a bad enough word for Lena right now.

 

Lena laughed again—so loudly that several people turned their heads and remarked disapprovingly of what a good time Supergirl seemed to be having with a Luthor—and her eyes danced with a teasing light, “Speechless again I see.” She moved in closer, her lips nearly brushing against Kara’s skin as she whispered, “But it’s ok Supergirl, Roulette was no where to be seen during your little presentation.”

 

“You know about Roulette?” A frown formed between Kara’s eyebrows. If Lena had heard about Roulette then why was she here? “She’s armed to the teeth with alien tech. Lena, you could be hurt.”

 

Lena’s eyes flickered to Kara’s face for a moment, searching for something. But the keen, almost hopeful look was hidden away quickly when the CEO didn’t seem to find what she was looking for.

 

Lena shrugged and waved a thoughtless hand through the air, “What can I say? I just couldn’t resist catching up with one of my old-boarding school mates.”

“Why can’t you be serious for once?”

 

“I am. I know of no better way to spend the evening then revisiting old…friends. And who knows, maybe I’ll get a chance to see Supergirl in action again. I could rescue you this time instead of the other way around, it might be nice to be your hero for once.” And even though Lena had spoken in a light, careless tone, Kara could sense a seriousness behind the words.

 

Kara rolled her eyes, “I can take of myself Lena.”

 

“She has more than just alien tech Supergirl, rumor has it that she got her hands on a synthetic Kryptonite.”

 

The hero frowned again, just missing the way Lena had shifted nearer to her protectively. “Then I have to catch her tonight before this gets worse”

 

Kara moved to step away, but suddenly Lena grabbed her hand.

 

“Wha—“

 

“Wait. I can help,” Lena said involuntarily, interlacing her warm fingers through Kara’s own and tugging the blonde through the crowd to the front of the gala where an auction was being held to raise money for the foundation.

 

She stopped just behind the third row.

 

“I have 200,000. Just 200,000. Come on folks, who will raise an offer for 250,000? Two hundred and fifty thousand for this beautiful necklace and the chance to help one of National City’s best science foundations?” The man on the stage called in a fast voice, gesturing to a beautiful diamond pendant necklace next to him.

 

Lena raised a lithe hand in the air.

 

“I have 250,000 from the woman in row 32 C”

 

Another guest bid higher, only for Lena to once again raise her hand smoothly and bid yet higher.

 

Kara tapped her foot. “I don’t see what any of this has to do with capturing Roulette.”

 

Lena’s eyes turned to hers for a second, the once playful green depths now emerald-hard. “Everything. Ever wondered how Roulette got her nickname? It’s because she can’t resist a gamble or a bet to save her life. If we raise the ticket for long enough, she’ll expose herself just to try and outbid us to win.”

 

“I have 1 million,” the auctioneer cried in the background and as if on cue Lena raised her hand again, her eyes still locked with Kara’s.

 

“1.5 million, I have 1.5 million.”

 

“4 Million” a man in a green suit cried from the first row, beads of sweat forming on his forehead.

 

“4.5!” A woman with red-hair called.

 

At the rising tension in the room, Lena gave Kara an I-told-you-so smirk before calling out in a smooth purr, “10 million.”

 

There was a hushed pause for a moment before the room erupted in scandalized whispers.

 

“Ten million? Lena this is crazy, I can’t let you spend ten million—“

 

Lena’s dark eyes danced “No price is too great for the Noetic Society—especially now that I know how dear it is to my hero’s heart.”

_Her hero?_ Kara wondered briefly, before remembering her feigned speech with a quick flash of guilt and stamping her foot in annoyance at Lena’s rough teasing. Everything Lena said was a doubled edged sword, she was such a, such a impossible human being.

 

The man in the green suit bid again, now almost completely drenched in perspiration. “10.3” he rasped hoarsely.

 

Lena met his pleading stare evenly. “20” she drawled softly.

 

Kara’s jaw nearly hit the floor.

 

The auctioneer’s mallet stood posed mid-air for a moment. “20 million?” His voice cracked, “I have 20 million?”

 

“going once….”

 

“going twice….”

 

“25. And let’s stop there darling,” A glazed voice called through the crowd, and Kara recognized it as Roulette’s. Lena nudged Kara in the side and gave an irritatingly smug grin.

 

Lena watched the slender woman approach with an impersonal amusement. “50. And you’re even more of a damn fool then you were in boarding school.”

 

She barely had time to say the words before Kara slammed into the villain, wresting the woman to the ground.

 

Kara managed to get several punches in, and was on the verge of ending the fight when Roulette pulled out a proton-emission gun and shot the hero with an energy blast strong enough to send Kara spinning backwards.

 

Supergirl let out a groan and sank to the ground defeated, her vision darkening.

 

Xxxx

 

An hour later, Kara sat in a chair in the now empty gala, testily letting Mon-El shine Alex’s portable sun lamps on her Kryptonian skin.

 

“I can’t believe she got away” Kara groaned burying her face in her palms. “tonight was a total failure.’

 

“It could’ve happened to anyone” Mon-El soothed, putting a hand on her shoulder. His bewildered brown eyes moved in circles around the room. “But don’t think about it like that. Tonight was great. The food was amazing—they even had fried Twinkies—and I know how much you love them. And the champagne and the music. Think of all the fun we had. It was a magical night in a lot of ways!”

 

Kara looked up at her boyfriend and frowned. She didn’t care how great the party had been. She was here to capture Roulette and she had failed. Why didn’t Mon-El understand that? Couldn’t he tell he was just making this worse? Didn’t he realize she cared more about stopping Roulette than she did about having a good time? Kara sighed. Sometimes it was like he didn’t know her at all.

 

 _Stop being so ungrateful. You’re tired and grouchy. Mon-El means well and he’s trying his best. You love him. And of course he’s too positive to be upset over something as silly as loosing Roulette._ Kara berated herself silently. And looking up at her boyfriend’s lopsided smile Kara let herself feel a glow in her chest where his clammy skin touched hers, and smiled back at him.

 

“On Daxam we have this saying…” Mon-El started as he took her hands in his and smiled down at her, his gaze distant, like he was looking through her. Kara tried to understand his words but she was too tired to focus, her mind kept slipping to thoughts of home and sleep and pot-stickers.

 

Kara’s head spun dizzily, “I’m sorry Mon-El, could you, could you go grab me some water?”

 

Mon-El paused mid sentence, and even though he looked a little hurt at Kara’s interruption he still offered a gallant smile, “……of course babe.” And with a final squeeze to her hands he sauntered off to the deserted bar.

 

“Well he certainty knows how to cheer a girl up”

 

Kara looked up sharply and saw Lena approaching. Her face suddenly hot with rage that the CEO should insult Mon-El like that and echo so sarcastically the very ideas which Kara had been struggling to suppress.

 

“You don’t understand a thing about Mon-El. He’s good and kind and he’s trying his hardest to be a hero.”

 

Lena paused a few feet away, red lips parted in a mocking smile, “Ah yes, what could a Luthor understand about that?” She stepped closer and leaned recklessly against the table, fingers sweeping over Kara’s sun lamps as she studied the equipment intensely. “But let’s not ruin the—what did he call it? Magical night? With name-calling. Though why he didn’t help you in that fight I’ll never understand,” Lena said and the last words were colored with the slightest hint of anger.

 

“Mon-El is a great Superhero, he’s been working himself to tears to fight crime.”

 

“And if tonight’s any indication, worth his weight in gold I’m sure.”

 

“He’s—“

 

Lena held up one pale hand. “Please. I’m well acquainted with Mon-El’s virtues. But spare me another speech. I’m sure he’s trying but there’s a difference between pretending at being a hero and actually being one. Now with that being said, I have information about Roulette.”

 

Kara’s ears perked up, _Roulette!_ She almost managed a smile at Lena, how the CEO got her information was beyond Kara but for the first time that night, the hero felt a surge of hope. “What is it?”

 

“It’s not much, so don’t get too excited. But a certain acquaintance of Roulette’s informed me that she’s been spending time near the sea recently, at a pace just south of here.”

 

“Near the sea? Hmm. You’re right not much to go on, but maybe if I asked Ale—I mean agent Danvers to cross reference Roulette’s list of costal properties with Winn’s new facial recognition software we could—“

 

“Amalgamate the two sources and use them to find Roulette” Lena finished, a gleam in her green eyes

 

Kara couldn’t help but smile conspiratorially up at the CEO “Exactly.” Suddenly the night didn’t seem so terrible after all.

 

There was a crash near the bar and Kara heard Mon-El muffle a curse as he picked up a broken water glass. Supergirl blushed, not sure why, but undoubtedly embarrassed. “I should, ah, go help him”

 

Lena’s lips twitched. “Of course,” she purred smoothly, “but before you go, one last thing? I have something for you.” And with a flourish she produced a small golden box tied with a pink ribbon, and, sitting inside, the necklace Lena had bid on earlier that night.

 

Kara’s mouth popped open in an O. “L-Lena. It’s beautiful, but I couldn’t possibly—It was so expensive.”

 

“Humor me,” Lena said smiling, picking the necklace up from the box and moving smoothly behind Kara to help the Hero latch it on. “I do love getting my way.”

 

Kara giggled, and a little lightheaded by wearing something worth more than some buildings she had been in, she twirled around, “How do I look?” she asked, “Like a million bucks?”

 

Lena laughed, “like 50 million actually,” and for once her eyes confirmed what she said, the CEO’s gaze making Kara feel as if she was the precious stone and not the priceless diamond hanging around her neck.

 

Kara beamed only to have her smile fall a second later. “Oh Lena. I couldn’t accept this. It’s too much. I could never even pay a hundredth of it back”

 

“It’s a gift Supergirl.” Lena said dryly, “Do you know what that diamond is called?”

 

“It has a name?”

 

Lena clucked her tongue, “Any diamond worth looking at does. But yes, it’s called Estella”

 

Kara caught her breath “star.”

 

“Mmmhmmm. And aptly named if the color of your eyes is any way to judge the landscapes of the galaxies. Who else could possibly wear a diamond named after the heavens? There was certainty no one else in my mind when I bid on it”

 

“Oh. Lena….I shouldn’t”

 

“Would it make you feel better if I said I wasn’t giving it to you purely out of Christian charity? Perhaps I’m tempting you just a little?” Her dark green eyes twinkled and rested on Kara’s face with a burning intensity for a moment before traveling to her lips for a second.

 

Kara’s breath caught and she lowered her eyes quickly. She wasn’t sure why exactly, she didn’t understand the implication behind Lena’s words but her whole body thrummed. She had never felt like this before, maybe close to it once when James had kissed her—but that was ridiculous, she loved Mon-El and besides the warm heaviness in the air that was making the hero shiver had nothing in common with romantic scenes of her past. This was just two friends talking. That was _it_.

 

Lena ran a finger over the diamond resting against Kara’s chest bone, her whole body tensed, a strange, glowing ember in her eyes.

 

And then…. whatever tension was in the air shattered as Mon-El walked up and put a firm arm, brittle as steel, around Kara’s waist and tugged her towards himself possessively. “Hey babe I got you your water.”

 

“Ah if it isn’t National City’s newest hero,” Lena murmured as she stepped back. Lena’s voice, so studiously blank, so overwhelmingly polite somehow conveyed an insult so frank even Mon-El didn’t miss it.

 

There was a hush as Lena waited a heartbeat for Mon-El to respond, but when it became clear he was still struggling to put together exactly how the CEO had slighted him, Lena turned, and with a finial laughing glance at Kara excused herself and sauntered out.

 

Kara watched her leave, her eyes glued to Lena’s perfectly sculpted body until Mon-El grumbled under his breath and pulled Kara into a wet kiss before taking her home.


	2. Chapter 2

Two weeks later Kara sat in the DEO on a small, uncomfortable couch as Mon-El ran his paws through her hair and Alex and James talked to Lena.

 

The CEO had managed to wiggle her way into the agency’s good graces, and even though Alex grit her teeth every time Lena appeared at the doorstep and J’onn could be heard mumbling something about “Non-Disclosure forms,” each time Lena showed up she brought some parcel of information from her many contacts through her family’s history that was too good to be refused.

 

One week it was a detailed schedule of the train times an escaped alien from Fort Ras was using to transport deadly weapons throughout National City, another it was a printout of Lord-Tech’s complete financials—including information divulging Lord’s involvement in continued testing to create weapons capable of destroying Kara.

 

And so, even though her every step was watched like a hawk by distrusting agents, Lena had slowly become an invaluable asset to the DEO.

 

Though just why Lena suddenly was so intent on being at the agency Kara couldn’t quite piece together. Lena seemed bored by much of the goings on at the DEO, nothing seemed to surprise her and the amused, sarcastic smile that always tugged at one corner of her lips often drove Kara wild trying to figure out just what the older woman could be thinking. Once, when Kara had told her about her secret identity as a reporter, Lena had laughed softly and called Supergirl a child for thinking that a pair of glasses and a ponytail fooled anyone. Kara had stomped her foot through the DEO’s concrete floor after that.

 

No matter how exasperated Kara got however; Lena never missed a call Supergirl was on, no matter how late at night it was—though she often was absent for the Guardian’s most exciting cases or even Alex’s hard won fights. And though Kara secretly would’ve liked to attribute Lena’s presence at the agency to the dark haired woman’s worry over Supergirl’s well-being, Lena’s green eyes never wavered from their blithe teasing and her smooth, pale face never showed a trace of anxiety, no matter how dangerous Kara’s calls were.

 

But even though Lena’s presence confused Kara to no end, the hero couldn’t complain. Because despite all of Lena’s irritating habits—her way of laughing cynically whenever J’onn spoke of the DEO as the vanguard between good and evil and her deliberately baiting comments accompanied by a wide grin that more often than not sent Kara off in a wave of anger and left the hero vowing she would never talk to the CEO again—Kara had come to look forward to Lena’s visits. Her heart skyrocketed whenever she walked in the DEO to see Lena leaning effortlessly in the chair that had quickly become her own.

 

_Its almost as if I like her,_ Kara thought bewilderedly one day when Lena’s absence had sent a wave of home-sickness through the hero. _But I know I don’t—I can’t. I like Mon-El._

Kara shook her head, she would never understand Lena. She looked up from her hands and saw the woman in question smiling like a tomcat at James and Winn.

 

“We could capture Roulette with my plan” James gushed, his eyes gleaming, “The Guardian could get her in one night, we wouldn’t lose her again.”

 

Winn nodded his head vigorously “She wouldn’t stand a chance. With our technology? Please. She’d be screwed before we even walked through the door.”

 

Kara sighed and tried to shut out Winn and James’s conversation. Roulette had been on the run for almost a month now, and even though Supergirl had run into the villain several times, she’d always managed to slip through the hero’s clutches.

 

_Maybe they’re right_ she thought dejectedly. Maybe Supergirl just wasn’t enough on her own.

 

She glanced up and caught Lena looking at her, green eyes scrolling across Kara’s face as if she could read the torrent of emotions passing through the hero’s chest. Something flickered behind the CEO’s eyes for a moment and her normally inscrutable face turned soft for an instant before being quickly hidden behind a laconic veneer again.

 

Lena cocked an eyebrow at Kara before turning to James with exaggerated concern. “Mind if I ask what this plan of yours is Guardian?”

 

James folded his arms over his chest. “Winn’s tracking down Roulette’s warehouses, we know she has at least three in the city that she uses. We don’t know which ones they are yet, but with his new code it should be enough.”

 

“…And well, with L-Corp’s biometric scanner too” Winn added in a mumble.

 

Lena took in James’s averted gaze and Winn’s shuffling feet, her green eyes smoldering as a rueful smile tugged at one corner of her lips, “Ah to have to resort to a Luthor’s technology, the Guardian and his sidekick must be writhing.”

 

“Hey—I’m not a sidekick.” Winn started before James cut him off.

 

“We have to catch Roulette. That’s all that matters,” he spat, not even trying to deny that he _had_ been writhing. To have to beg favors from a Luthor, and a Luthor as cynical and composed as Lena was almost unbearable, and James was barely able to control the shaking in his hands as he balled his fists against his legs.

 

But rather than look hurt or even offended at the insinuation behind James’s statement, Lena gave a short, smooth bark of laughter “Well any port in a storm I suppose. Tell me, after appropriating my biometric scanner what exactly do you have in mind once you find her hideouts?”

 

“We take Roulette down. As soon as we can pinpoint the locations of each warehouse, I’ll arrive, scope them out, relay what information I learn to Winn in the van and then our crack team will form a perimeter and help us capture Roulette.”

 

“That’s it?”

 

James hesitated, “Well….yes.”

 

Lena leaned carelessly against the table behind her and met James’s enthusiastic stare evenly. Her voice was sickeningly smooth, so courteous as to somehow be contemptuous, “Have you ever been to one of Roulette’s parties? Have you taken into account the hundreds, probably closer to thousands of masked guests attending each event? How difficult it will be for you to grab the right woman in a sea of humans? Or the fact that you don’t have an invitation and your presence will hardly go unnoticed? Or even considered the private security forces in attendance which are sure to recognize a SWAT team of DEO agents loitering outside?” When James cleared his throat uncomfortably and Winn stuck out his chin as a hot, angry blush stole over the back of his neck, Lena’s white teeth flashed in a smile, “But where our my manners? Of course the Guardian has thought of all that. Your far-sightedness as always borders on the truly astounding.”

 

James’s jaw snapped shut and Kara was afraid he might crack his teeth he was clenching them so tightly together. He took a small step forward, “What are you implying Lena?”

 

Lena tilted her head back and gave James a polite, but mocking look, “Well if you need me to spell it out for you I suppose I can. To be blunt I’m saying that your plan is as ridiculous as your costume. Roulette has money, connections, and practically an entire private army of hired guards. We have no information, no leads, no direction. All we have is a patched together code and rashness. She’d figure out your little plan in moments and have you thrown out or killed in seconds. As usual you’d make more of a mess than help.”

 

“I—you-“ James fumed. “If Supergirl didn’t trust you—“

 

“I tremble to think what would happen” Lena drawled in a bored voice.

 

Kara actually thought James might explode from anger, his neck was an ugly shade of red and his eyes nearly bulged out of his face.

 

Alex must’ve had a similar thought because she moved forward from a corner of the room and put a calming hand on James’s shoulder, “Well if Guardian’s plan is so far fetched, do you have a better suggestion?”

 

Lena picked up a pencil and twirled it offhandedly over her long fingers. She shrugged. “There’s a retreat this weekend near the coast, everyone who is anyone is going—Roulette’s friends among them. Send in agent undercover in there. Between the festivities and the liquor it shouldn’t be too hard to overhear where Roulette’s been hiding.”

 

“Humpf. That’s…..not half-bad.” Alex mumbled reluctantly, brows crinkled in concentration.

 

“Not half bad? Are you kidding me? It’s ridiculous. Put an undercover agent in a millionaire’s party, who would we even send? Our agents are trained to hunt down aliens, not impersonate playboys and heiresses.” James’s stuttered.

 

Lena’s lips curled upwards. “Surely the difference between agent and heiress isn’t so wide a gap?” Her eyes flickered quickly to Supergirl who was sitting awkwardly next to Mon-El, the Daxamite not seeming to notice that he was squishing Kara on the small couch. “But if you’re so worried that your people can’t handle it, send me. I can obviously take care of myself and no one knows National City’s elite like I do. And since I know you don’t trust me, I’ll even take someone from the DEO as my plus one, that way you can keep an eye on me and Roulette. You wont even have to sully the DEO’s pristine reputation by subjecting an agent to masquerading as some entitled millionaire with me there.”

 

Alex paused. She studied Lena carefully. “It’s…good. It’s the best idea we’ve had so far and it could work….”

 

“But?”

 

“But what do you get out of this? I know you Lena, I’ve seen the way you run your company, and Luthors never do anything without expecting something in return.”

Lena’s eyes flashed before she veiled them behind an expression that was inscrutably blank “Consider it a favor. You’ll pay me back when the time comes.”

 

“Alright. If you don’t want to tell me I suppose that’s your business. The DEO’s in no position to refuse favors as it is, and I’ll find out what you want eventually. Is there an agent in particular you had in mind? Since you’re going to have to feign dating them for a few days I suppose it’s only fair that you pick.” Alex rumbled while in the background Supergirl laughed a little too brightly at something Mon-EL had said. “Mon-El is no stranger to parties and Winn can handle programing. There’s also the Guardian and agent Johnson…”

 

Lena waved her hand and gave a cynical laugh. “I’m afraid none of those will work.”

 

“And why is that? They’re good agents—all of them. I can personally vouch for your safety and—“

 

“Let’s just say they’re not my type. I prefer to bat for my own team.”

 

Alex’s eyes widened a fraction as the realization that Lena liked girls sank in. “Oh. Ahem. I see. Well then, who?

 

Lena’s smile deepened. Across the room her eyes met Kara’s and she smirked so suggestively that Kara ducked her head and turned around quickly. “I want Supergirl.”

 

The busy room suddenly went deathly still as Alex and Winn struggled to pick their jaws up off the floor and everyone’s attention turned to Lena.

 

“She’s mine” Mon-El stated from across the room, wrapping a thick arm around Kara and pulling the hero into a smothering hold. “She can’t leave National City anyways and I wont let her go with you.”

 

Lena shrugged lazily. “Then I’m not going to risk my neck for the DEO looking for Roulette.”

 

“Another one of our agents? Vasquez would love the chance to leave her desk?” Alex questioned, already knowing that Lena’s plan was too good to pass up and that the CEO wasn’t going to budge.

 

“No.” Lena said softly, “I want Supergirl.”

 

“Absolutely not” Mon-El growled tensely, “Supergirl will not—“

 

“Yes I will.” Kara suddenly said. She seemed startled by how loud her own voice was, surprise flitting over her face as she untangled herself from Mon-El’s cold grip and stepped forward confidently with her hands on her hips, ignoring James’s glare like daggers on her back.

 

Lena gave a quiet laugh, and her eyes glittered, “Well, it’s settled then. I’ll see you this weekend Supergirl.”

 


	3. Chapter 3

In the end, after Kara had stood firm to all of Mon El and James’s protests, the DEO finally conceded that Lena’s plan was the best chance they had at capturing Roulette.

 

And so a few days later Kara had grabbed her bags from her apartment and walked downstairs to see Lena leaning causally against a Lamborghini, the CEO impeccably dressed as usual, her mesmerizing green eyes shielded by a pair of aviators that matched with her black V-neck t-shirt and dark blue jeans.

 

“h-hey Lena.”

 

Lena smirked. She pushed off the car and moved forward lithely.

 

“Good morning Kara.” Her dark hair fell in smooth ripples over her shoulders, and her red lips, unashamedly sensual, parted in a careless smile as she opened the car door for the hero. “Allow me.”

 

Kara frowned, unsettled as always by Lena’s habit of taking the most polite statements and somehow conveying an air of archness in them.

 

With a mumbled “Thank you,” she settled into the cool quiet of Lena’s car, letting her body sink into the soft black leather seats. There was a smooth click as Lena shut the trunk door after putting away Kara’s bags and slid in next to the hero, one hand on the steering wheel as the other rested lightly on the gearshift.

 

Lena slid out onto the street easily, and even though Kara was used to flying at near the speed of light she still found herself gripping the door handle as Lena whipped her car through the city, weaving in and out of traffic effortlessly.

 

It was a four-hour drive to the resort where they were headed, but Kara was surprised at how fast time seemed to pass. For once, Lena’s teasing was gentle, and Kara found herself throwing her head back in laughter at the CEO’s wry sense of humor more than a few times. Lena too seemed to be enjoying herself, her usually tense body was relaxed and though Kara could tell she was watching her out of the corner of her eye, she seemed content to listen to Kara’s voice ramble along.

 

“And then when Winn finally met Kal-El he said ‘What’s Superman’s favorite drink?— Fruit-punch” Kara giggled, “It was such a bad joke and poor Winn looked like he just wet his pants in the sixth grade again.”

 

Lena chuckled, and Kara found herself staring at the long curve of her neck. “Ah, poor Winn, though I suppose we all have horror stories about meeting our crushes.”

 

“Yah. When I first met Mon-El I kinda, sorta arrested him with handcuffs and jail and a DEO retention cell and everything.”

 

Lena’s hand tightened over the steering wheel. “Hmm. I had no idea you liked handcuffs so much, perhaps I should have brought some with us for the weekend.” She smiled, a reckless, roguish grin that didn’t quite reach her eyes, but it still sent Kara’s mind spinning.

 

“Oh. I didn’t mean that. I-I just thought he was bad you know? I assumed he was just into parties and girls and that sort of thing ad I didn’t want him to hurt Earth. But he wasn’t—isn’t. He’s really changed.”

 

“I’m sure. After all Mon El’s reputation for, gallantry shall we say? Is above questioning.” Lena’s tone was silky, but there was contempt in her voice, contempt overlaid with a veneer of manners at once impeccable and remote and Kara remembered awkwardly Mon El’s stories of women on Daxam and his fumbled attempts at being a good boyfriend.

 

Kara bristled as always when Lena mocked Mon-El. But even as her blood boiled some part of her knew that Lena was right. “What do you know about Mon-El. He’s, well, he’s a hero and even if he isn’t you have no right to say anything. He’s never so much as asked me for anything so crude as handcuffs, not that you’d understand that either.”

 

“A Hero? Yes, the man who works at a bar and refuses to acknowledge his responsibly to helping those around him is the very definition of heroic.” Lena clicked her tongue. “Hero indeed. He’s never asked because he wouldn’t know the first thing about it. What could that overgrown frat boy understand about women, about you?”

 

“Pshh. And I suppose you’d know?”

 

Lena lifted an eyebrow, “I imagine I would, I’ve been told I’m quite good at such things.”

 

Kara’s chest heaved in annoyance even as her breathing sped up and a wave of heat crashed over her body. How could Lena say such awful things about Mon-El? “Why you...” but she stopped suddenly. Lena was grinning at her, as dangerously as always, but there was a small glow in her eyes that was almost raw, hopeful. Kara hesitated, suddenly unsure.

 

“—Well I suppose you’ll be able to decide for yourself, after all we’re supposed to be a couple this weekend,’ Lena continued dryly, “though don’t worry I’ll try and keep my attentions as _heroic_ as Mon-El’s.”

 

Kara narrowed her eyes, “You wouldn’t dare try anything.”

 

Lena chuckled at Kara’s irritation. Her gaze travelled leisurely to Kara’s lips and the hero felt a sudden rush. Her body thrummed in a way she had never felt before and she had to suppress a shiver. “No, I wouldn’t. But only because I have no desire to. Kissing someone who is uninterested has never held much allure for me, and I’m rather picky about who I’m with.”

 

Kara’s mouth popped open. She stared in helpless shock for a moment, too angry to speak. When she finally found her words again Kara was surprised at how low and throaty her voice sounded, “Well. I wouldn’t want to kiss you either.”

 

An image of Lena melting beneath her as Supergirl’s lips trailed over her neck and down her throat rushed suddenly to Kara’s mind.

 

Lena smiled like she knew exactly what Kara was thinking. “No? Then why are you leaning in so close?”

 

Kara looked down and _Oh Rao_ she hadn’t even noticed how close she had scooted to Lena. “I’m not! I was just—well it doesn’t what I was doing. I, ugh, you are impossible sometimes Lena. I don’t know how I’m going to get through this weekend.”

 

Kara lapsed into silent fury, her body slouched in her seat. Her heart was hammering so wildly she didn’t notice the way Lena looked over at her softly, taking in her beautiful blue eyes glowing fiercely in the late afternoon light. She didn’t feel how the other woman paused over her lips and hair and the hollow just beneath her throat—drinking in Kara like she was a star whose light was at once all she’d ever wanted and yet galaxies out of her reach—or even how she whispered, so quietly as to be inaudible to anyone but herself “I don’t either.”

 

Xxxx

 

A few hours later they arrived at the resort. The place was nothing short of luxurious, and even though Kara was still upset with Lena from the car ride, she gamboled about the grounds like a kitten, tugging Lena this way or that, marveling at the marble water fountains and breathtaking views. Lena watched her the entire time with an amused crinkle in her eyes.

 

But, when Kara saw an ice-cream stand, nothing, no millionaire pool nor gilded staircase could compete with the sheer delight in the hero’s eyes. She laced her fingers through Lena’s own and dragged the CEO over to vendor.

 

“Two ice cream cones” she beamed, handing a scoop of vanilla dripping with caramel over to Lena.

 

Lena took the treat gingerly. She stared at the slowly dripping caramel sauce for a moment before looking up through thick eyelashes at Kara. A wicked smile danced in her dark green eyes.

 

With her gaze still locked onto Kara’s wide blue eyes, Lena licked the dripping ice cream, slowly. “Mmmmm” she moaned, closing her eyes and tilting her head back in a way that was pure seduction.

 

Kara stood rooted to the ground, her mouth open. A drop of her own ice cream trickled onto her collarbone.

 

Lena bit her bottom lip and moved forward to catch the drop, running her finger over Kara’s burning skin until she wiped away the small white spot. Kara sucked in her breath, and at the sound Lena gave a sultry, hot smile.

 

“Delicious” she murmured as she sucked the drop off her finger.

 

There was a low roaring sound in Kara’s ears and she could just hear the desperate thudding of her heart underneath it.

 

“Um”

 

Lena arched her neck and laughed. “Speechless again I see. My, my Supergirl, what would Mon-El say to that?”

 

“Oh, you—you are the worst Lena” Kara said helplessly, dropping her eyes.

 

But Lena only laughed again, and despite herself Kara realized with astonishment that she liked the sound. _I miss it when she doesn’t_ she thought confusedly, _Mon-El’s laugh isn’t like that?_

 

Lena noticed the crinkle between Kara’s brow and smiled to herself. “Come on, Supergirl, we should get dressed for the reception tonight.” And with that she turned and led Kara to their hotel room, stepping gracefully over the pebble pathways.


	4. Chapter 4

Kara came down the stairs at 8:30, wearing a dark blue dress that hugged her fit body and which Mon-El had told her not to pack.

 

Lena looked up from where she had been talking, a tumbler of whisky effortlessly held in her right hand. Her green eyes took Kara in from head to toe in a glance that missed nothing, that familiar, unclothing stare that she always seemed to give Kara and which always sent a shiver of goose bumps down the hero’s arm.

 

“You look good enough to eat,” she drawled quietly, and Kara blushed instantly at the implication.

 

She straightened her shoulders and rolled her eyes, “Let’s just get this over with Lena.” Kara moved to enter the foyer where a crowd of guests was standing when Lena’s hand shot out and grabbed her wrist with a suddenness that startled the hero.

 

Kara looked up surprised. Her hand trembled slightly and she pulled it out of Lena’s grasp coolly before the other woman noticed.

 

“Before you go” Lena said indicating with her head a quiet alcove near the front desk.

 

Kara sighed, and followed the other woman reluctantly. When they were alone, Lena turned suddenly and lifted Kara’s right hand in hers. She pulled a small metal ring out and slipped it onto Kara’s finger.

 

“What are you doing? We don’t have time for this, we have to catch Roulette, not do whatever this is.” Kara huffed, waving her hand in the air.

 

“Isn’t it obvious? I’m asking you to be my girlfriend” Lena said evenly, her voice carefully blank.

 

Kara’s mouth went dry and she took a loud swallow. “You know perfectly well that I’m dating Mon-El and this is just a cover.”

 

Lena leaned carelessly against the wall, her posture easy but Kara felt that she was watching her as intently as a cat watches a mouse. “That’s my class ring, if nothing else it certainty adds an air of credibility to our story.”

 

“Please Lena, stop joking around, we have to catch Roulette.”

 

“I’m not joking. Would you take me more seriously if I got on my knees?” Smooth as a tiger Lena slipped to one knee, and softly took both of Kara’s hands in her own.

 

“This is ridiculous Lena, I’m with Mon-El.” Kara tried to tug Lena up, but the other women didn’t budge, her hands still warmly encasing Kara’s own. Kara’s voice cracked and she looked around desperately to see if anyone had noticed the scene they were making. “You don’t have to ask me because this is all fake. It’s just a mission. I-I love Mon-El.”

 

Lena raised an eyebrow but didn’t say anything

 

“I do! I—“

 

“Please Kara. Date me, be mine for the weekend.” Kara’s stare was drawn like a magnet to Lena’s eyes and she saw that they were full of the same sarcastic laughter that Lena always seemed to have, but there was also something else there, a gleam deep in those green depths that defied analysis. “Date me. Wear matching flannels with me and adopt a cat and move in after two weeks. We can sell the Lambo and buy a Subaru, or a motorcycle if you prefer. I’ll buy us a fridge full of vegetarian food and watch the L-Word with you every night— ”

 

“Lena get up,” Kara entreated, “What if someone sees us?”

 

“They’ll doubtless be shocked that a Luthor could show feelings” she said dryly, not even bothering to glance around the room. “Say yes Kara, or I promise I’ll stay here all night wooing you. I’ll buy you outrageous gifts and more flowers than even your office can hold and make such a commotion that everyone will notice and Roulette will escape once again.”

 

“I-“ but Kara stopped, she raised a hand to her brow, the world seeming to tilt and shake as badly as her heart was skittering. “ok” whispered.

 

“Ok?” Lena’s breath hitched and if Kara hadn’t been so dizzy she would’ve noticed a look of unbelieving thrill on the CEO’s face before it was quickly masked behind a reckless grin. She stood up suddenly, and laughed, “Well then my 48 hour sweetheart, let’s go.”

 

“Just like that?” Kara questioned, taken aback by the swift change in tempo. But Lena only smirked and headed towards the crowd of guests. _I’m Dating Lena Luthor,_ Kara’s mind kept repeating over and over again as she followed the CEO, each reiteration sending a strange, wobbly feeling in the pit of stomach.

 

Lena stopped in front of a man Kara recognized from an article about National City’s wealthiest 50 under 50, and turned with a maddeningly polite smile and green eyes burning with a knowing wink and said “Mr. McKay, may I present Kara Danvers…my girlfriend.”

 

Xxxx

 

Kara’s feet hurt and her forehead felt like someone had been hammering inside her skull all evening. She gave a forced smile to the man talking to her, idly sipping a glass of champagne.

 

Kara resisted the urge to sigh. So far, no one had even so much as dropped a hint about Roulette, no matter how many beaming smiles she flashed or pretty laughs she gave. It was as if the villain had never existed.

 

Only half paying attention to the conversation, she let her eyes wander to where Lena was standing and talking to a young blonde in a short, tight red dress that showed every inch of her long legs. Lena leaned in and whispered something in the blonde’s ear that sent the woman off in a peal of husky laughter.

 

Kara frowned. She clenched her jaw and nearly stamped her foot. Lena was her date, why was she flirting with that—that blonde floozy. She should be over here, not throwing herself at some other girl. A sharp stab of jealousy ached in her chest at the thought of Lena with another girl, though just why that should be, Kara didn’t know. Lena’s eyes met hers across the room and Kara turned a bright, angry shade of red.

 

A slow, knowing smile spread over Lena’s face and she began making her way over to Kara.

 

Kara lifted her head high and turned back to the man she had been talking to, blatantly ignoring Lena.

 

“Ah, Tom. Good to see you again,” Lena interrupted smoothly, slipping her hand around Kara’s waist with a mischievous smirk, “would you mind if I stole my girlfriend away for a moment?” she purred, her eyes shinning with a merciless merriment at the anger so clearly written across every line of Kara’s face.

 

“Your girlfriend indeed.” Kara huffed once the man was out of earshot, “You didn’t seem to care much about that when you were talking to that overgrown Barbie.”

 

Lena laughed, loudly, “Is that jealousy I hear?” and even though her voice was light, Kara noticed once again that same, searching look in her gaze.

 

“Oh don’t be so stupid. I couldn’t care less what you do.”

 

“Is that so?”

 

“Yes.”

 

“So you were glaring at her—quite obviously I might add—because…?”

 

“Because, because, you’re jeopardizing the mission that’s why! No one is going to believe our cover story if you insist on flirting with every girl in the room.”

 

“That was hardly flirting my girl.”

 

“Oh don’t call me that. And if it wasn’t flirting what was it? I suppose you were just trying to help her find her brain in all that cleavage, you were certainty looking for it hard enough.”

 

Lena chuckled, “There was quiet a lot of it. But trust me Kara, you’d know if I was flirting.”

 

“And why is that”

 

“Because I’m good at it.” Lena shrugged but there was a sudden playful smile at her lips. She moved forward softly and pulled Kara tight against her.

 

“wha-what are you doing?” Kara asked breathlessly, her body melting into Lena’s as if of its own will. She struggled to maintain her anger, but it slipped away as easily as Lena’s hands slipped lower down her back.

 

“Why, I’m flirting with you of course.”

 

Lena began to move Kara in lazy circles, dancing to the orchestra music playing softly over their heads. “You might be undercover but that’s no reason why you can’t enjoy the evening a little.”

 

“But, there’s no dancing here” Kara said, her voice sounding like it was miles away as she looked around at the guests standing sedately with drinks in their hands, the event clearly a social gathering and not the kind where music was played so people could move to it.

 

“So?” Lena mumbled in her ear, her lips brushing against Kara’s skin ever so slightly.

 

Kara shivered. “People are staring” she said lamely, not truly caring, but frightened by the way her hands tightened around Lena’s neck and the sudden irresistible urge she had to push herself even closer to the dark haired woman.

 

“Mmmhmmm, well if they’re going to look at us, we should at least give them something to talk about, don’t you think?” and with that Lena tugged Kara flush against her, the hero letting out a small gasp as she felt Lena’s warm body move against her own.

 

Everything left Kara’s mind, she was dizzy and breathless and her heart was beating so fast she was sure Lena could hear it. She leaned her head against Lena’s shoulder to stop the world from spinning and felt the CEO start beneath her and her low throaty voice whisper “Kara...” even as the hero’s world filled with the scent of Lena.

 

“Please, don’t stop,” Kara mumbled, her fogged mind knowing only that she wanted this moment to last forever, that she never wanted Lena to let go.

 

And Lena didn’t. They swayed to and fro to song after song, for what felt like an eternity and yet somehow still not long enough, until the music trailed off in a soft fizzle.

 

Lena pulled back and let go of Kara slowly, almost unwillingly. She was quiet for once, and Kara noticed that her hand was shaking as she ran it through her hair.

 

They stood in silence for a moment, neither knowing what to say.

 

“I should go” Lena said suddenly, coming back to herself.

 

Kara’s eyes widened and she opened and closed her mouth. _No!_ she wanted to scream, just a minute more, hold me just for a second longer. But she stifled the cry, afraid of the teasing light sure to pop up in Lena’s eyes if she said anything so vulnerable. “Me too” she said instead, and she could’ve sworn she saw Lena’s face fall a fraction of an inch. But that was stupid, Lena didn’t care about her like that, and Kara was with Mon-El, and _oh_ what had she gotten herself into?

 

Shaking her head, Kara turned and walked over to opposite side of the room, expecting to feel Lena’s warm hand on her arm, stopping her. But instead she only heard the light tapping sound of Lena’s heels in the marble floor as she moved away from Kara to talk to the other guests.


	5. Chapter 5

Just after midnight Lena pulled Kara aside. “I found something” she said, “A woman who I, uh, know,” and Kara frowned at the implication while Lena’s white teeth flashed in a smile as though she realized that everyone in the room knew exactly what she’d been to the other woman and didn’t care at all if they did know, “she told told me that Roulette’s right hand man is staying at the hotel tonight. Apparently he ran his mouth off and mentioned something about getting some Adamantium ore—does that mean anything to you?”

 

_Adamantium ore?_ Kara’s mouth twisted in puzzlement. The name sounded familiar but she just couldn’t quite place it. Then a memory of Alex talking about the implants Cadmus had given Hank Henshaw flashed through her mind and realization lit up her eyes. “It’s unbreakable metal, even I can’t bend it. But Cadmus is the only organization with access to it.”

 

“Which means Roulette is in league with my mother.” Lena finished, and her face, normally so carefully masked was open and raw and for the first time Kara saw the pain and disgust Lillian Luthor’s legacy evoked in Lena. “This Adamantium metal, can it hurt you?”

 

“Well, yes, but not like kryptonite can. It can’t pierce my skin but it can crush me or trap me.”

 

Lena’s face settled into a hard line. “Then we have to figure out what Roulette and Cadmus are up to. Now. Before they get the chance to put their plans in motion.”

 

Kara rung her hands and tried not to pace. “What room is he staying in?”

 

“261. But you aren’t seriously thinking—“

 

“That we break in? Yes.”

 

Lena shook her head, “Kara, no. It’s insanity. You don’t know these people like I do. If you’re caught, they’ll hurt you, or kill you if they can. And they can. They have weapons and technology that makes the DEO look like its being run out of its mother’s basement. You have no idea what you’re getting into, its suicide.” She paused, her voice suddenly rough, “And I won’t sit by and watch you hurt yourself or worse. I can’t.”

 

Kara stared at Lena, taken aback by the unexpected vehemence in her tone. _Did she really care about Kara that much_?

 

But as if catching herself, Lena shifted quickly and gave a sardonic, lazy smile that chilled Kara to the bones. “Though what Supergirl does in her free time hardly matters to me. But I do hate taking the hard road.”

 

“The hard road? What other option do we have?”

 

Lena inspected her nails and gave a slow, odious chuckle that Kara knew was directed as much at herself as it was at the hero. “Innocent to the end my girl. I mean that I can be rather, how shall we put it—persuasive?—when I want. A night alone with our informant and I’m sure I can have the rest of the intelligence we need. There is more than one way to skin a cat after all, or at least so they say.”

 

Kara made a sound of disgust in her throat. The warm tingle that had settled in her chest after thinking that Lena had cared about her wellbeing disappeared in a cloud of dislike. Of course Lena would think of something like that, she didn’t care about Kara at all, she just wanted to sleep her way through the mission. Kara wanted to hit herself, how could she ever be so stupid as to believe a Luthor could care?

 

“Absolutely not. If you think I’m just going to sit quietly in the room while you do god knows what with _Rao_ knows who, you have another thing coming. I don’t have time to wait around all night for you to seduce National City’s easiest women. I care about stopping Lillian and Roulette, even if you don’t.” Kara scowled so hard her forehead hurt. “I don’t know why I agreed to come on this mission with you. You have no morals, no sense of decency. I don’t care what you say, I’m breaking in and that’s that.”

 

Kara moved away, already heading to the elevators that would take her up to the second floor.

 

“God help me for being a fool,” she heard Lena mutter before the CEO stepped into the lift stiffly, her body rigid as she struggled to maintain an indifferent attitude.

 

When they reached room 261 Kara put her hand on the doorknob, ready to pulverize the metal to dust.

 

Lena shook her head. “If you’re determined to risk your life doing this, at least don’t make it any easier for Roulette and Cadmus.”

 

“What do you mean?” Kara questioned, her hand still on the doorknob.

 

Lena moved Kara’s hand away, her touch warm and lingering, “They’ll know Supergirl’s here if they find a crushed door handle. And from there, its hardly a stretch to figure out you’re also Kara Danvers.” Lena pulled a set of bobby pins from her hair with a casual flick and set about picking the lock. “But lucky for you, you’re dating National City’s favorite villain” she smirked, winking up at Kara.

 

Kara shut her eyes and took a deep breath, willing her breathing to even out. She could hear the tumblers on the lock clicking as Lena worked, the CEO’s heartbeat steady and even. But as the seconds ticked by with no change, Kara began pulling at the hem of her dress. _If Lena didn’t hurry someone was sure to spot them. And if they were caught Kara would have to fight in her plain clothes since she didn’t have her super-suit on and then…._

 

Lena gave a low chuckle as if she could hear Kara’s thoughts. “Don’t tell me you’re afraid?” She gave Kara that smile that made the hero wish she would never see her again and she thought she would like nothing better than to wipe that silly grin off her face.

 

“Of course I am,” Kara snapped, her nerves on edge, “And if you had any sense at all you would be too. If they catch us—“

 

“We’re dead, I know. I believe I was the one who brought that point up originally?” Lena stood and grinned tantalizingly, opening the door with one quick flick. “But at least they won’t murder us in the hallway. After you my dear.”

 

Fear completely forgotten under Lena’s teasing, Kara stomped into the room, not even bothering to say thank you.

 

They began searching the room swiftly, Lena with her phone flashlight and Kara with her super-vision cutting through the gloom. As the minuets passed, Lena kept up her banter, distracting Kara with stinging comments that kept the hero from faltering in fear.

 

“Hmm, it seems our guy has a bit of an eccentric taste in film” Lena smirked after disarming the third laser trap that evening by the TV. In her hands there were several x rated DVDs. “Lets see, Girls Just Want to Have Fun, Pizza Delivery, Underwear Party…”

 

Kara looked over to see what Lena was talking about and turned a shade of red so bright when she glimpsed the covers that even Lena could see it in the darkness. “Oh. Oh wow. Ok. That’s um…wow”

 

Lena tilted her head back and laughed at Kara’s expression.

 

If possible the hero turned even redder. “Oh for Rao’s sake stop it Lena or they’ll hear you.” She mumbled, miffed as always when Lena made her look like a child.

 

But Lena only chuckled lower, the sound a throaty timber. The skin on Kara’s neck prickled at the noise.

 

She moved over to where Kara was standing and tucked a strand of hair behind the hero’s ear. “Don’t be upset with me Supergirl,” she murmured, “I couldn’t stand to think of you hating me. Besides I think your naivety is cute.”

 

“You-you think its cute?” Kara gulped

 

Lena’s white teeth flashed sardonically and her face fell back behind its impenetrable mask as if she had accidentally said more than she should have. “Adorable. Especially for a puffed up hero wearing a cape. The two don’t usually go together.”

 

Kara choked back a gasp of rage, the warm sensation in her stomach vanishing instantly. Puffed up? _Puffed up?_ Was she puffed up when she saved Lena from dying in that helicopter? Or when she threw herself in front of the CEO when Hank stormed her office?

 

Kara swiveled on her foot without another word and turned to the dresser, raking her hands through its contents mercilessly, not caring about the racket she was making as she slammed each set of drawers.

 

Did a puffed up hero fly by L-Corp’s penthouse every day just to make sure its head hadn’t been abducted or hurt or subjected to any number of awful possibilities? Did a puffed up hero spend her every waking hour thinking about ways to bring Cadmus down?

 

Kara let out an angry huff and stalked over to the bed, practically setting the mattress on fire when a small beam of heat vision escaped her eyes.

 

Oh what she wouldn’t give to have some sort of a comeback for Lena. To have the words to accurately express just how _mad_ the CEO made her.

 

“Ahem.” Lena cleared her throat with an overdone air of modesty. “Not to interrupt this impressive display” and Kara saw Lena’s red lips part in a smile even in the moonlight, “But I believe I found what we’re looking for.”

 

She lifted up a handful of documents. Even with a cursory glance Kara could tell that Lena was right, the pages were covered in coded text and small, almost illegible handwriting.

 

Kara jerked the pages from Lena’s hands and growled “Fine. Let’s go,” before marching out of the room and into the hallways. She could hear Lena’s soft laughter following her out.

 

They had only gone a few steps when Kara stopped, suddenly cold. Her x-ray vision cut through the building ahead of them.

 

“Having second thoughts about the video tapes?” Lena teased behind her. “Though there’s really no need to go back, I promise you I can do anything you would’ve watched in them personally.”

 

“Would you be quiet?” Kara hissed, for once not blushing under Lena’s flirting. “Someone’s coming up the elevator. It’s Roulette’s agent.” _If they find us_ …Kara’s mind whirled. If they were found out, there was no good excuse why they should be in this hallway, so far away from their own room and the party. They would be caught and then Roulette escaping again would be the least of their problems.

 

Lena’s hand gripped Kara’s arm tightly, and her body was tense as a lion’s. The playful lines that had been wrinkling around her eyes disappeared entirely. “How long till he gets here?”

 

“Maybe a minute, probably less. There’s not enough time to hide. I could fly us out but we might be seen and oh Lena—“

 

Lena raised a hand and put it gently over Kara’s mouth, instantly stilling the hero. “Follow my lead, and whatever you do play along. Ok?” she asked, her voice firm yet composed. Kara nodded and sagged a little in relief at the calm in Lena’s posture.

 

Lena slowly pulled her hand back. “Good. Here goes nothing” she said with a dangerous grin as she pulled her heels off and lopped her hand around Kara’s waist, leaning her weight heavily against the hero.

 

Kara stiffened immediately, ignoring the warmth radiating from Lena’s body. There was a hollow ding as the elevator arrived and Roulette’s agent stepped into the hallway. His eyes instantly locked onto the two women and he began moving towards them purposefully.

 

“Lena...” Kara whispered into Lena’s hair, her blood like ice in her veins.

 

“Shh.” Lena said firmly before letting out a loud giggle and stumbling forward on uncertain feet.

 

“You shure you shure this isn’t our floor baabby?” Lena slurred in an unreal voice, her high heels dangling from two fingers.

 

Kara stared at her, what was going on? Lena was acting like she was drunk, but Lena only got quieter and quieter the more she drank, never bubbly and loud.

 

Lena swayed on her feet and tried to steady herself against Kara. “Maybe one of the rooms is unlocked anyway?” she said with a look of drunken cunning and a sloppy, slow wink.

 

Kara’s head spun. She knew it was all a play, a dangerous, desperate play on which their lives hung, but panic cursed through her body and she couldn’t seem to move her feet.

 

Lena nudged her gently and ran a reassuring hand over her hip. Kara sucked in her breath, and felt a measure of strength flow into her at the touch.

 

She pulled herself up and gave her best attempt at a lopsided smile and a fake case of the hiccups. “Wh-what did I (hic) do with my (hic) phone?” she mumbled in her best imitation of the way Mon-El talked after a long night at his bartending job, “D’you think I lefst it at (hic) the bar?”

 

Roulette’s agent was only a few feet away now. His hand moved into his jacket pocket slowly, fingers disappearing to grasp the just visible hilt of a gun.

 

Kara buried her face in Lena’s neck, “he’s not buying it” she whispered, trying to keep her voice from cracking.

 

“What are you two doing up he—“ the man began to say, but his words were cut off as Lena suddenly pushed Kara against the wall, pinning the hero beneath her body. Kara let out a surprised gasp.

 

Her brain had just enough time to register the burning look in Lena’s dark green eyes before the other woman’s lips crashed against her own.

 

Lena’s mouth was warm and she was kissing Kara with slow, hot lips that were as leisurely as if she had the whole night ahead of her. Kara’s head swam and she suddenly didn’t feel like she had to act at being drunk anymore.

 

Mon-El had never kissed Kara like this. Never had his kisses made her go hot and cold and quivering like this.

 

Kara struggled to keep her mind from falling into dizzy circles, but Lena’s lips tasted like champagne and her hands were tangling into Kara’s hair and before she knew it somehow Kara’s body had gone limp and she had melted into Lena and everything had disappeared except for the need to be closer to Lena.

 

Kara’s hands tightened over Lena’s hips and yanked her tight. Lena’s mouth smiled over her own, and with a deliberately slow tug, she tilted Kara’s head back and traced her burning lips down Kara’s throat to the hollow just above her collarbone.

 

“Mmmmm” she moaned into the hero’s skin, voice soft as silk.

 

Kara panted and over the roaring in her ears she vaguely heard Roulette’s agent mumble “couples” before giving them both a knowing smirk and moving past them to his own room.

 

With the click of his door, cold sanity came back into Kara’s darkened mind, and she remembered what she had forgotten for a moment—that she was dating Mon-El.

 

She put her hands on Lena’s chest and shoved her away. “What the hell do you think you’re doing?” she fumed, her heart still pounding and her words coming out breathless.

 

Lena stepped back. Her lips were red and slightly swollen and Kara could hear her heavy breathing.

 

“Saving you,” she said as she smoothed a hand over her hair. She looked completely composed, as if she hadn’t nearly kissed Kara senseless a moment ago.

 

“I hardly call that saving Lena. That was—”

 

“Wonderful?” Lena said with a raised eyebrow, her green eyes watching Kara’s face carefully.

 

“No!”

 

Lena laughed. “Oh Kara, you break my heart sometimes. But surely it couldn’t have been all that bad, after all, our little drunken charade worked, he left us alone.”

 

Kara’s lips tingled and she fought against the urge to run her fingers over them. “I would rather have exposed myself as Supergirl.” She spat, her eyes narrowed.

 

“Is that so? You’re heart is beating incredibly fast for someone who was unmoved by my attentions” Lena said mockingly, “But, relax. Now that I know how much you dislike kissing me, be assured it won’t happen again. Like I said, I have no interest in wooing someone who is uninterested in me.”

 

A faint tinge of disappointment fell in Kara’s chest. “Oh. Yah, good. That’s exactly what I want. _Exactly.”_

 

Lena studied her for a moment, her mouth twitching, “We should leave” she said finally, her teeth flashing, “unless I’m reading you wrong and you’d like to stick around for a repeat performance?”

 

“Lena. I swear sometimes…”

 

But Lena had already started off to the elevators. Kara followed, her thoughts still somewhat bewildered. When they reached their penthouse suite (and of course it was a penthouse, Lena had refused to let the DEO pay for a hotel room and had insisted on staying in the most luxurious room Kara had ever seen), she sat down on the dining room table and began pouring over the documents they had found in Roulette’s agent’s room.

 

“What’re you doing?”

 

“Trying to break these codes. We need to crack them before their absence is noticed.”

 

“Oh, but—”

 

“But what?”

 

“Nothing. I’ll leave you alone.”

 

“Thank you.”

 

Kara hovered near Lena, peaking over her shoulder every few seconds, somewhat disappointed at the anticlimactic way the night was turning out. She wasn’t sure what she wanted, but…it would be nice if Lena could look at her the way she had in the hallway again or touch her….

 

Kara’s thoughts trailed off and she stifled a yawn as she absentmindedly picked up Lena’s pen in her hands.

 

Lena didn’t seem to notice, the CEO reaching for a spare from her briefcase.

 

Kara let out a long drawn sigh.

 

She tapped her fingers rhythmically against the table

 

She whistled a Kryptonian tune nonchalantly.

 

She fiddled with the edge of the papers Lena was working on

 

But Lena didn’t even notice. Her attention remained glued to the codes in front of her.

 

“I guess I’ll go to bed, it’s pretty late...”

 

“That’s probably a good idea.” Lena said without even looking up.

 

“Aren’t you—”

 

“Aren’t I what?”

 

“Well aren’t you tired too?” Kara mumbled, hiding the blush in her face because there was only one bed in the suite.

 

Lena looked up and grinned at her, suddenly standing. “Eager to share a bed with me Supergirl?”

 

“No. I just—I just don’t want to get woken up in the middle of the night when you finally decide to stop working.”

 

“That won’t be a problem. I’ll sleep on the couch.”

 

“Oh, but Lena its so uncomfortable and you paid for this suite and I promise I don’t snore or anything.”

 

Lena’s smile deepened. “If I didn’t know any better I’d say it sounds like you want me there.” Kara’s eyes darted to the floor and she twisted the tip of her toe into the soft carpet. At the movement Lena tilted her neck back and laughed, “Goodnight Kara.”

 

“Ok. I guess, goodnight then.” But Kara made no move to leave, she lingered around Lena waiting for…for what? She wondered confusedly.

 

Lena’s eyes danced wickedly. “My my Supergirl, you couldn’t want a goodnight kiss could you?” she drawled, “Don’t you think you’ve had enough kissing for one night as it is? To think of a well brought up Super hanging around a Luthor for a tryst… ”

 

“Oh! You are impossible Lena!” Kara cried in annoyance, “I hope you get a sore neck from sleeping on the couch!” she threw over her shoulder as she flounced to the bedroom. She tried to slam the door behind her, but it got caught on its lock and bounced open. She struggled with it for a moment, before hearing Lena ask with mock politeness, “Need help?”

 

Kara could’ve screamed. But, instead she stormed past the door into the bedroom, hearing Lena obligingly slam the door behind her.


	6. Chapter 6

Kara stood on red sand. The sun above her was bloodshot; it’s light dying the metal buildings around her the color of rust.

 

“You have to go Kara, Kal-El needs you.”

 

“No, no. I won’t!” she sobbed in a broken voice, her hands pounding against her father’s chest as he lifted her into the escape pod.

 

“Goodbye my little sunshine,” her mother said, tears threating to spill out of her eyes as she pushed her necklace into Kara’s hands.

 

“No!” Kara screamed, her voice muffled by the thick glass casing of the escape pod. “No!”

 

But it was too late. Kara’s pod launched into space on a finial burst of energy just as Krypton exploded in a bright cloud of orange and yellow dust.

 

“No!” Kara cried, her heart shattering into as many pieces as her planet. “Mom,” she sobbed, please come back, please. But suddenly it wasn’t Kara’s mother whose face was the last she’d seen on Krypton but Lena’s.

 

“Lena! No! Lena!” But Kara was in the phantom zone again and the universe was desolate. Lena and Astra and her mother and father were dead and with them all the strength and goodness in the world. There was nowhere for Kara to go, no one for her to turn to. Everyone she loved was gone, obliterated. She sobbed brokenly, too hurt to even cry out any longer.

 

Kara woke to soft hands wiping away the cold sweat from her brow.

 

“Kara, Kara, it’s ok,” she heard Lena murmur.

 

Kara buried her face into her pillows. Cries bubbled out uncontrollably from her lips and tears blurred her vision.

 

Lena ran a soothing hand in small circles over her back, whispering softly into her ear until Kara’s sobs finally gave out.

 

“It was awful Lena,” she whispered when she was finally able to speak, her voice raw and hoarse from crying, “I was back on Krypton, right before it exploded. It was like I was there again.”

 

“Kara. I’m so sorry.” Lena tentatively ran her hand through Kara’s hair, her touch comforting but unsure, the CEO keeping a careful distance between the two women.

 

Kara felt some of the tremors shaking her body ease at the contact, and suddenly she wanted nothing more than to feel Lena’s warm safety around her, to have the other woman’s arms around her warm and comforting and secure.

 

Kara turned and buried herself against Lena, pushing her body into the CEO’s until they were practically spooning. “Hold me Lena” she whispered.

 

“Oh Kara.” Lena’s arms were instantly around the hero, the CEO pulling Kara tight against her, cradling her comfortingly.

 

Kara nuzzled her nose into Lena’s neck.

 

“Do you—do you want to talk about it?” she heard Lena mumble into her hair, her voice shaky for some reason Kara couldn’t put together.

 

Kara hesitated for a minute, she’d never told anyone about her nightmares—not even Alex. “I…there’s not much to say I guess. It’s silly really. I’m just back on Krypton the day it exploded. And it’s always the same, my mother wearing the same blue robe, my father putting me into the escape pod. It’s exactly how I remember it. But no matter how hard I struggle, how hard I try and wake up, I can never save them. Everyone, my parents, my fiends, my family, they all explode and there’s never anything I can do about it. And the worst part is, is that it’s real. It happened, when I wake up they’re still gone, they will always be gone. And I didn’t save them.”

 

“It’s not your fault Kara, there was nothing you could’ve done.”

 

“I know but—“ Kara’s voice broke, “Sometimes it’s not just my mother and father in the dream, sometimes its Alex or J’onn….or you” she said softly, glad that her face was hidden from Lena. When Lena didn’t say anything she continued in a small voice, “Sometimes I’m afraid I’ll loose everyone again, that I’ll look up and they’ll all just be gone.” She tried not to cry, but somehow her eyes filled with hot tears anyways.

 

Lena tugged one arm free from Kara’s waist. “Kara.” She said softly, “Look at me,” and she tilted Kara’s chin up until the hero met her green eyes, their depths burning with gentleness and frustration at her own impotence as if she wished she could take the hero’s pain as her own. “What happened to Krypton—I can’t imagine. But listen to me. You will never, ever be alone like that again.”

 

“How can you say that? How do you know?”

 

“Because I won’t leave you. I will always be here for you.”

 

Kara’s breath caught. “You promise?”

 

Lena leaned in and kissed her softly on the forehead, “I promise.”

 

Kara let out a shaky breath, “Thank you.” She had no idea that Lena could be so _nice._

 

Lena chuckled, “A thank you hmm? Not like your usual stubborn self at all. Perhaps I should climb into your bed more often at night, if that’s all it takes to get you so meek.” But even Kara could hear the playful lilt behind the words, Lena’s smile gentle as she said them.

 

“You tease,” Kara mumbled with a small smile.

 

Lena grinned back softly, “Only a little. Goodnight Supergirl.” She stood to leave, and suddenly the warm feeling that had been steadily growing in Kara’s chest disappeared.

 

“Wait.” Kara said suddenly, a nervous tingling embarrassment that was tinged with the faintest hint of need causing her voice to come out loud in the quiet room. She laced her fingers through Lena’s own “Stay with me?” And then fearing the laugh she knew would come from Lena she continued in a rush, “I just couldn’t sleep with the nightmare is all. I don’t want to be alone. But its not a big deal if you don’t want to. Actually never mind. That was a stupid thing to ask. You definitely don’t want too and I don’t need it and I shouldn’t have said anything to begin with because I’m fine.”

 

But to her surprise, Lena didn’t laugh, and when the hero glanced up she caught the CEO staring at her as if she was hanging onto Kara’s every word.

 

“No it’s…of course.” Lena said shaking her head. And without another word she hesitantly climbed into bed next to Kara, her movements awkward as if she didn’t know where to put her hands or what to do—almost as if she was watching herself very carefully.

 

Kara gave a happy sigh and immediately nestled against Lena, wrapping her arms around the CEO and resting her head on her chest. “Tell me about something?” Kara asked, so content that she missed the way Lena’s heart was thundering.

 

“Hmmm. Ok. Let’s see. Have I ever told you about my motorcycle phase in college…?”

 

Xxxx

 

Lena didn’t sleep that night. Kara’s snores were almost immediate, but Lena lay awake, still as a mouse, her body burning. When the first rays of light scattered through the curtains and landed in golden pools on Kara’s hair and skin, Lena stiffened. She stared at the hero for a moment, eyes liquid and smoky and so intense she was mildly surprised their stare didn’t wake Kara up. Her hand moved up, about to push away a lock of hair that had ended up in Kara’s slightly drooling mouth. She hesitated, only for a second, before pushing the strand away, thumb lightly tracing the outline of Kara’s lips.

 

Kara shifted a little and buried herself further into the mattress. “…Mon-El...” she mumbled through her sleep.

 

Instantly the soft look in Lena’s eyes disappeared and her mouth twisted in a bitter, self-mocking smile. Without another glance back she hopped out of bed, moving away to finish decoding Roulette’s information.

 

Two hours later Kara woke up. She gave a big yawn and stretched herself out fully. She looked over to where Lena had been and tried to hide the immediate sinking feeling in her heart when she saw the empty sheets next to her.

 

_Of course Lena wouldn’t stay_ , Kara berated herself, _What did you expect_? _She only held you last night because you practically begged her too and made such a noise with your stupid nightmares that she couldn’t have slept anyways._

 

Kara threw her forearm over her eyes and sighed. After a moment her stomach growled loudly. “Damn Kryptonian metabolism,” she grumbled, wondering how fast room service could whip her up a few stacks of pancakes. She rolled onto her belly and gave a theatrical huff.

 

But, when she turned to look at the clock on the bedside table, Kara saw that instead of the glistening black mahogany top, the entire table was covered in a mountain of food placed on silver trays, piles of steaming cinnamon rolls and French toast wafting scents of powdered sugar and syrup over to her.

 

Kara’s mouth dropped open. “Oh.” She’d never had breakfast in bed before; between being a superhero and a former-reporter she didn’t exactly have the time to make a luxurious brunch.

 

With a happy grin Kara sat up and scooted closer to the meal, humming contently as she devoured pancake after pancake. When she was on her fourth plate of bacon she leaned back and stretched, finally full.

 

She stood up with a plate of French toast still in hand, brushed the crumbs off her T-shirt, and headed to the suite’s kitchen for a glass of water.

 

“Lena!” Kara said, half surprised, and half relived when she rounded the corner to the living room and saw the CEO lounging on the couch with her hands wrapped snuggly around a cup of coffee.

 

“Oh. Good morning Kara.” Lena said flatly, not even looking up from the mountain of papers in front of her. “I trust you found your breakfast already?”

 

Kara frowned, thrown off by the CEO’s nonchalant manner, as if they hadn’t spent the night holding each other. “Yah. It was delicious!”

 

“Good.” Lena said waving a hand airily, not even turning to look at the hero.

 

Kara fidgeted with her t-shirt. “You didn’t have to do that, especially after the other night—”

 

Lena tensed almost imperceptibly before giving a careless grin, “Not a big deal at all. All I did was dial a number and order you food—hardly a difficult decision.” She smiled, and Kara failed to notice the stack of discarded breakfast menus from across the city sitting by the CEO or the open tab on Lena’s phone that read ‘Best Breakfast Chefs in National City’

 

“Nnnnkhhmmunn,” Kara shook her head around a mouthful of French toast. She swallowed, and hummed happily, determined not to let Lena’s indifference affect her breakfast. “This is amazing. Is this all from the hotel?”

 

“The hotel? No. I called that chef from the TV show?” Lena shrugged, “I don’t watch it myself, but apparently he’s supposed to be good. ”

 

Kara grabbed a water glass from the kitchen and curled into an armchair in the sunlight “He’s amazing! This is so, soooo good,” Kara moaned. She licked the syrup off her lips. She looked over to smile at Lena and stopped short at the expression on the other woman’s face, the CEO looking at Kara as if she was the one she wanted to eat and not the mountains of food spread out before her.

 

Kara coughed. “Ahem. Oh gosh, how, um…how did you get him to cater for you anyways? Isn’t he like a big deal?”

 

Lena turned away and took a sharp sip from her mug, “He is. But I bought his restaurant. As his boss I believe I’m more than entitled to a few favors now and again.”

 

Kara stared at Lena for a minute. Surely Lena didn’t mean she bought the restaurant this morning just so she could give Kara breakfast in bed? Kara stared at the CEO with her dark hair and smile that always seemed to be on the verge of a smirk. No, Lena would never do anything like that, and not for her. But still, why would Lena even get her break fast to begin with?

 

“Why are you doing so much for me?” Kara blurted out accidentally.

 

Lena gave her a long look as if debating how much to give away, “Well I’ve invested quite a bit in this mission, I’d hate to have it fall through because my hero was hungry.”

 

The old irritation and antagonism which Lena’s teasing always roused in her was hot in Kara’s chest and she nearly choked on a piece of her food.

 

Lena’s eyebrows quirked and her black eyes danced, “Slow down, you wouldn’t want to choke on your breakfast. You don’t have to scrape the plate clean. There’s plenty, and I can always order you more.”

 

Kara huffed and took a deliberately big bite, “Yummm” she said, attempting a wink and ending up doing something closer to a grimace.

 

Lena laughed her sudden mocking laugh. “Smoother by the hour Supergirl.”

 

Kara’s eyebrows rushed together in a scowl. But before she could open her mouth to give Lena a piece of her mind, the CEO held up and handed and headed towards the front door.

 

“Roulette’s Agent’s papers mentioned something about a dead drop happening today near the ocean, probably while all the guests are yachting. I’m going to go look into it,” Lena paused and looked over her shoulder and gave a low, teasing chuckle, “You’re welcome to join of course.”

 

“Welcome to join? It’s my mission!” Kara fumed as Lena’s chuckle grew into a laugh and the CEO stepped out into the hallway.


	7. Chapter 7

A little while later Kara tripped down the staircase, jean shorts covering her swimsuit bottoms. She found Lena standing with a glass of champagne in her hands at the docks. The CEO eyed her appreciatively before moving over smoothly and escorting Kara up the gangplank into one of the awaiting boats.

 

“I haven’t gotten word of anything yet,” she whispered as she kissed Kara’s cheek, “but I do know the drop has to be on this boat, so we’ll keep our eyes peeled.”

 

“Psh. If you think I’m going to sit on a boat all day and listen to you tease me, you have another thing coming Lena.”

 

“Come on, it’ll be fun, I promise, I’ll be on my best behavior.” But when Kara failed to look convinced Lena held up two fingers, “Scout’s honor” she drawled with a wink.

 

Kara rolled her eyes. “You are impossible Lena.”

 

“So you keep telling me. But lighten up Supergirl, you’re on a yacht in the ocean on a beautiful day, surely even my odious presence isn’t enough to dampen a morning like this? And besides, isn’t this exactly what you wanted? A way to track down Roulette quietly and efficiently?”

 

“Yes, but I didn’t want to do it with you!”

 

“Do you still want me to leave?”

 

“Well…not as much as I used to.”

 

“Tell me to go whenever you want if it makes you happy.”

 

“It doesn’t make me especially happy,” and catching sight of a group of people watching them, Kara leaned over and kissed Lena carelessly on the shoulder. Lena’s dark eyes flickered to quickly over her face, searching for something they didn’t find.

 

She gave a short laugh, “Come on Kara, I only have you for another 48 hours. Let me show you how to have a little fun.”

 

Lena was as good as her word. Kara did have fun, more fun than she’d had in years. Her mouth ached from smiling, and though at first she was surprised at Lena’s carefree manner—so different than her controlled, sarcastic appearance at L-Corp—Kara quickly learned that the CEO could throw herself as recklessly into having a good time as she could into budget reports or quarterly analyses. Lena made her jump off the top of the mast, race against the tides, and dive deep under the water to see coral reefs and rare fishes.

 

In short, Lena made her play, and Kara had almost forgotten how. Life had been so serious and stressful as Supergirl, and with Mon-El lately everything had seemed dyed a dull grey. But with Lena, Kara suddenly found her sunshine again. After watching the executive attempt to water ski, her head thrown back and her laughter rolling over the ocean, Kara thought she caught a glance of what Lena must’ve been like before Lillian and Lex changed her, and she felt herself smile so broadly she thought she might burst.

 

But no matter how much fun she appeared to be having, Kara always sensed a seriousness just underneath the CEO’s exterior, and more than once when she turned quickly and caught Lena by surprise she found the executive once again watching her as alertly as a cat.

_I guess that’s because she’s only really here for the mission and not because of me_ Kara thought with a sharp pang that was quickly forgotten under Lena’s teasing. In fact, by the time the sun was setting, Lena had kept Kara so busy that the hero had forgotten almost everything—Mon-El, the mission, Alex—everything except for the sound of the CEO’s laughter.

 

The moon was out when the yacht landed back on the beach and everyone stumbled off to the bonfires already blazing in the sand. Lena picked up Kara’s hand in her own and led the hero down to the beach. She stopped a few yards away from everyone and pulled the hero into her. “I got the Intel from the drop, but it would look suspicious if we left so soon” she purred, her voice a little fuzzy from all the drinks she’d downed while mingling with the guests earlier.

 

“The drop?” Kara asked confusedly, her mind overwhelmed with the feeling of Lena’s body against hers.

 

“Yes? Roulette’s agent? Remember?”

 

“Oh, yah, yah of course.” Kara stuttered, noticing how Lena’s fingers trailed absently over her forearm, lingering as if drinking in the feel of the hero.

 

“We’ll stay for another hour or so then slip away to look at the data.”

 

“Of course” Kara mumbled, for once completely uncaring about the mission, just desperately trying to understand why her heart was beating so fast and why she seemed to be leaning in slightly. She shook her head and pulled away quickly, afraid of the intensity of whatever she was feeling.

 

Lena raised one brow slightly before swaying off to talk to other guests.

 

Kara turned to move away as well, because she knew she should be talking to the other guests, should be gushing about the boat ride and the bonfires and the resort and sifting for information about Roulette but she couldn’t take her eyes off Lena, couldn’t keep her mind from replaying the events of the day.

 

Kara watched as Lena dropped the small clutch in her hand and bent down slowly, deliberately to pick it up.

 

Kara gulped. She spun on her heels and threw herself into conversation with the man nearest to her, trying to lose herself in the discussion, desperately wishing for something, _anything,_ that would take her mind off Lena, annoyed that she should even have to divert herself to begin with.

 

The man’s eyes lit up at Kara’s obvious interest, and he stepped nearer.

 

“Well darling, why don’t I show you what I mean about the upgrades to my yacht? It’s just right over there?”

 

Kara beamed brightly at him, only half hearing his words, “I’d love to.”

 

“This way” he murmured, placing his hand on Kara’s hip, a little too low for comfort but Kara barely felt it.

 

They were halfway to the boats, the man practically pulling Kara into him when Lena’s voice cut through the twilight.

 

“Ahem.”

 

“Can I help you sweetheart?” the man droned, palm nearly on Kara’s ass.

 

“You can start by getting your hands off my girlfriend,” Lena growled.

 

“Your—?”

 

“Yes. Girlfriend.”

 

Lena stepped forward threatingly and the man dropped away from Kara with a mumbled “I didn’t know” before Lena wrapped her arm around Kara’s waist and began tugging the hero away.

 

“Lena!’ Kara gasped, but the CEO didn’t seem to hear her. They walked in silence all the way back to their hotel room, Lena stepping forward with a silent determination and a leashed fury that kept Kara from asking any questions.

 

When they got back to the room Lena let go of Kara suddenly.

 

“What the hell was that about?” Kara asked bewilderedly, _because its not like Lena cared about her, not like she minded if Kara talked to other people, right?_ “So much for keeping our cover.”

 

Lena leaned against a table in the hallway, her body languid, although Kara could tell every inch of her was stretched tight with some emotion which she couldn’t understand. “I would think you would thank me for saving you. That worthless cad had nothing short of infidelity on his mind.”

 

“Oh _Rao,_ Lena he did not, and it’s not like we’re dating anyways.”

 

Lena smirked; a nasty, pained smile that Kara couldn’t tell was directed at herself or the hero, “No. I’m not so silly as to assume our cover story means anything to you. But I do doubt Mon-El would be pleased to hear that his girlfriend is carrying on with strange men at the beach.”

 

Irritated, Kara took warfare into the enemy’s territory. “Why do you even care? Why do you always bring Mon-El up? If I didn’t know better I’d say you were jealous of him!”

 

As soon as the words were out of her mouth Kara wished she could have bitten her tongue. Lena threw her head back and laughed until the hero went red with embarrassment for even thinking that the Luthor cared for her.

 

“Add conceit to naivety. Tell me, do you always assume everyone in National City is in love with you?”

 

“I do not!” Kara cried hotly, “I just don’t see why you always bring him up and I can’t think of any other reason.”

 

“Well think of something else my girl, because that’s not it. The only emotion I feel towards Mon-El is apathy and pity.”

 

“Pity?”

 

“Yes, because he has the most beautiful, kind woman he’ll ever meet on this or any planet, and he can’t even appreciate her.” Lena’s body suddenly tensed “Tell me, do you love him?”

 

Kara puffed her chest out even as her breathing nearly stopped. _Lena thought she was beautiful? “_ That’s none of your business Lena. Just because we’re pretending to date doesn’t mean you’re involved in my relationship and I don’t want to talk about it further.”

 

“Well I want to talk about it” Lena said, a low note in her voice which Kara did not understand but did not like to hear. “I need to know. Do you love him?”

 

“What if I do?” Kara threw back, goaded. She took a step nearer to Lena, drawn like a magnet even in her anger to be nearer to the other woman. “I don’t want to talk about it with you because you could never understand. Mon-El is gallant and kind. The only kind of love you know about is the type you can buy.”

 

“Ah,” said Lena softly falling back against the desk, “I see, so I’m only capable of baser loves?”

 

“That’s not what I—”

 

But Kara stopped short when her gaze met Lena’s. The CEO meeting her stare with a look burned with pain and aching and something that smoldered like a wildfire just beneath the surface.

 

“Does he love you for your mind? For your strength, selfishness, nobility of character?”

 

Kara wriggled under Lena’s words, remembering all the times Mon-El told her that she was selfish, that she went looking for trouble and enjoyed the attention of being a hero.

 

Lena’s eyes narrowed. “He would feel the same about you if you didn’t have those blue eyes? If you didn’t have lips so soft they make anyone under ninety wonder what they would feel like against their own?” Lena moved forward, ran a hand over Kara’s cheeks, traced her thumb over Kara’s lips.

 

Unbidden Kara’s eyes raked over Lena’s mouth as her mind flashed back to the way Mon-El never wanted to talk but only sleep over. Red stained her cheeks, the blush not lost on Lena.

 

“I see, so he really does love you for your mind alone,” and there was a vibrant note like anger in Lena’s voice. “What a fool He doesn’t even know what he has.”

 

Kara felt weak under Lena’s touch, she reached out a hand to steady herself and found it on Lena’s hips. “Why-why do you care?” her voice was faint and she licked her lips.

 

“Kara Danvers you are blind”

 

And before Kara knew what was happening, Lena closed the last millimeter of space between them. Her arms were around Kara, soft and yet somehow inexplicably strong and safe. Kara felt herself sinking into them almost instinctively, a feeling of helpless surrender leaving her limp in a surging tide of warmth. Lena kissed her. Softly at first, but with a slow increase in intensity that left Kara breathless and hungry and aching with desire. She clung tighter to Lena as the only solid thing in a swaying world. Lena’s insistent mouth parted her shaking lips, sending tremors through her body, evoking sensations from Kara which she had never known before. And somewhere in the giddiness sweeping over her body, Kara knew she was kissing Lena back.

 

“Lena, please” she gasped, unsure what she was asking for.

 

Lena’s arms trembled frighteningly around Kara, “I-I’m sorry should I stop? Are you upset?” she breathed against the hero’s lips.

 

“Only if you stop,” Kara said before surging up and pressing her lips hungrily against Lena’s. Kara’s heart pounded as she wrapped her arms around Lena and lifted the other woman up, Lena’s legs wrapping around Kara’s hips. She could feel the way Lena throbbed against her and Kara nearly stumbled as she carried her to the bedroom. Kara groaned and dropped the CEO onto the soft mattress. She immediately fell on top of the woman, using her knee to push apart her legs.

 

Kara’s head spun dangerously, because it was intoxicating being surrounded by Lena to this extent. And through the haze she could feel fingers raking over her back, tangling in her shirt, sliding up her legs.

 

Lena moaned and Kara wondered for a second if she should stop before she fell someplace she couldn’t come back from. But Lena’s mouth was tracing a line from her jaw down to her collarbone, her breath coming in warm pants that sent shivers through Kara, and the hero nearly cried out with the desperation just barely controlled under her fingertips.

 

She ripped Lena’s shirt off, hands gliding over ribs and soft skin and god how did Kara not know that she wanted this? That she _needed_ this?

 

Lena’s breath hitched and sped up as Kara’s hands trailed over her chest, and before the hero knew what was happening, the CEO rolled her over until she was straddling Kara. She pushed the hero’s arms above her head and interlaced their fingers, her hips rolling against Kara’s hungrily.

 

With a pant Lena broke contact for a second, pushing herself backwards, trusting Kara’s hands on her hips to keep her steady. She bit her lip and with a deliberately slow movement, reached her hand behind her back and pulled her bra off.

 

Kara forgot how to breathe. Lena was beautiful, straddling her, her lips slightly swollen and hair tangled from Kara’s hands. Kara caught a glimpse of Lena’s dilated green eyes before she thrust her self up and captured the CEO’s lips again.

 

It wasn’t soft anymore.

 

There were teeth on Kara’s skin and soothing kisses raked over her burning body and fingers in her hair and above all a desperate, aching need.

 

“Fuck” Lena moaned into her neck when Kara’s hands dropped to the CEO’s pants. Lena’s hips rubbed almost frantically over Kara, each movement sending a warmth through the hero so hot Kara wondered if she would ever feel normal again.

Kara pushed her hands beneath Lena’s waistband, her fingers drenched with wet and warmth almost instantly. Lena writhe beneath her, and Kara’s had never felt anything so good in her entire life.

 

“Kara” Lena moaned, her head falling back. “Oh god, Kara”

 

Kara sucked the skin just behind Lena’s jawbone as her fingers moved in pace to the rhythm of Lena’s hips. “Faster” Lena rasped, and so Kara did.

 

She moved her fingers faster, harder, Her free hand slipping behind Lena’s head to twist into her hair. Kara could feel Lena’s body tense under her even as wetness dripped down her hand.

 

Lena’s hand gripped her shoulder, nails digging into Kara’s skin. Her breath was ragged and her heart was pulsing so fast Kara didn’t even need her superpowers to hear it.

 

Lena’s lips were back on Kara’s, desperate for a second before Kara swiped her hand one last time and felt the other woman shudder and cry out, her forehead dropping onto Kara’s shoulder as the last waves of pleasure racked through her.

 

Lena collapsed against her, her breathing slowly returning to normal as Kara rubbed small circles in her back.

 

When Lena finally moved again, it was to press her lips against Kara’s neck, kisses moving with a maddeningly slow pace. Kara knew she could say no if she wanted, Lena was teasing her with slow movements that would’ve been easy to push away. But Kara didn’t want to. Instead she let Lena push her back against the bed. Her eyes closing as the CEO slowly moved lower.


	8. Chapter 8

Morning sunlight filtered in through the open windows, and Kara could just barely discern the sound of the ocean in the distance. Lena was gone, though her side of the bed was still warm. Kara ran her hands over the sheets luxuriously, smiling goofily to herself. For the first time since crash landing on earth Kara felt like she belonged, like she finally knew exactly where she should be.

 

Lena liked her! Or at least her actions from the night before had proved that much to Kara. And now…? Kara paused, she wasn’t sure what would happen now, she was bewildered and sleepy and she wasn’t sure what she was going to do, but she knew without a doubt what, or rather who, she wanted. At the thought a sudden rush of joy spread through Kara’s body and she giggled to herself.

 

She couldn’t wait to see Lena again, to tell her what she was feeling. The very thought of meeting the CEO in the morning light sent a rush of nervous embarrassment that was laced with excitement through Kara’s body.

 

There was a sharp knock on the door. Kara smothered a happy laugh and bounded out of bed, wrapping a sheet around her carelessly.

 

She opened the door wide, “And here I thought I’d scared you off Len—” but her voice trailed off and the words died in her throat as she saw Mon-El and not Lena standing at the door.

 

“Hey babe. I missed you.”

 

Xxx

 

Lena smiled softly to herself. She brought her fingers to her lips and touched her mouth gently, remembering the way Kara’s kisses had felt. In her other hand were grasped two dozen roses—it was cliché Lena knew, but she couldn’t help it, she wanted Kara to have something special to wake up to.

 

The CEO practically hummed as she made her way back to the hotel. She hoped Kara was still asleep, Lena had gone nearly across the resort to get the flowers, and the trip had taken a little longer than expected. But she was finally back now and room service was on its way.

 

So, with a happy grin and a cheery “good morning!” to the doorman that sent several guests heads spinning in double takes because what could have possible made Lena so utterly happy? The young CEO stepped into the elevator and rode up the few floors to her room.

 

She had just stepped out of the elevator when she noticed the door to her and Kara’s room was ajar. Curious, but still grinning happily, Lena stepped inside quietly.

 

“Kara, Kara. It’s ok, I’ll always love you, I understand. Mistakes happen.”

 

Lena froze at the sound of Mon-El’s voice, her smile slowly fading.

 

“Oh, Mon-El thank you so much. You—you don’t know how much this means to me. _I love you too._ ”

 

Through the doorway Lena could just see Kara rest her head against Mon-El’s chest.

 

The hand holding the roses went white as Lena turned on her heel without a word and quickly left the room—throwing the flowers violently into the first trash can she passed without even a backwards glance.

 

Xxxx

“Mon El?” Kara stuttered as her boyfriend stepped into the room.

 

“Who else?” He smiled, his eyes crinkling. Then noticing the sheet wrapped around Kara he moved closer, “hmm I like this look.”

 

Kara put out a hand and pushed against his chest. “Mon-El, I, I can’t” she gulped, tears suddenly springing in her eyes.

 

Mon-El stopped suddenly. “Kara? What’s wrong?”

 

Kara took a deep breath. “Mon-El, I—I don’t love you, last night I—I’m sorry. I never meant to hurt you but I can’t be with you like this, like a girlfriend anymore.”

 

Mon-El stared at her blankly for a moment, her words not seeming to soak in. “Lena?” he finally asked quietly.

 

Kara only nodded. “I’m sorry Mon-El, I never wanted to hurt you. But I need her. I’ve never felt anything so right” Kara choked.

 

“Shhh, Kara its ok. You’re still my friend. I want you to be happy, I understand. I mean don’t get me wrong, this sucks. What’s that Earth saying? Up a creek without a paddle? But, if that’s how you feel, I can’t change that. I’ll always love you, but as a friend. This doesn’t change that”

 

Kara fought to control her tears but failed miserably. Mon-El smiled sadly and moved an arms length away. He reached out a hand and gave a comforting squeeze to the hero’s shoulder. “Kara, Kara. It’s ok, I’ll always love you, I understand. Mistakes happen” he said softly, pointing with his thumb at himself.

 

Kara shook her head and gave a weak laugh “Oh, Mon-El thank you so much. You—you don’t know how much this means to me. I love you too.”

 

Kara could’ve sworn she heard a sharp intake of breath from somewhere behind them, but she ignored it as she leaned in weakly and dropped her forehead against Mon-El’s chest.

 

“Thank you for understanding Mon-El, and for being such a good friend.” Kara said, pulling away after a second.

 

Mon-El shrugged. “ Enough about me, where’s your girl?” And despite herself Kara couldn’t help but blush and smile at the thought of Lena as her girl.

 

“I don’t know, but hopefully coming back here soon” she grinned.

 

Xxxx

 

But Lena didn’t come back for breakfast. Or lunch. And by the time the sun was setting Kara felt as if she would go mad waiting any longer.

 

She stood and paced the room, wondering frantically where Lena might be. What if Roulette had discovered their mission? What if one of her agents had gotten to Lena?

 

Kara ground her teeth, listening for the hundredth time that night for Lena’s heartbeat and finding nothing but silence.

 

It was 2 AM when Lena finally staggered back into the room.

 

Kara shot up from the chair she had been sitting in, every light in the suite burning.

 

“Lena!” she cried. The CEO was dressed as impeccably as usual, but her eyes were bloodshot and her movements slurred and Kara could smell the whiskey on her like a warm perfume.

 

Lena looked over at her blankly, “Oh. Hello.” She said airily before moving past Kara and pouring herself a drink from the mini bar.

 

Kara felt as if she had been slapped. How could anyone say “Oh. Hello” After being gone for almost twenty-four hours without explanation? How could she be so nonchalant after the other night they’d spent together? Unless…Kara stopped in her tracks. Unless the other night had meant nothing to Lena at all. Kara wasn’t an idiot, she knew the CEO had a reputation for womanizing, maybe what had happened was just the usual for Lena.

 

For a moment Kara forgot how to speak. Lena turned around after pouring her drink and grinned at the hero lazily over the rim of her glass.

 

“Where-where have you been?”

 

“Why, completing our mission of course.”

 

“What do you mean?”

 

Lena finished off her drink with a neat swallow. “Well after looking at the Intel we gathered last night I wanted to follow up some leads. And with a little…persuasion, I got exactly what I wanted to hear. Roulette’s gone, Cadmus moved her to a secret location” She tossed a flash drive onto the coffee table in front of Kara.

 

Kara felt her stomach plummet “you mean you went from me to someone else after—after—”

 

“Oh, that. I apologize. I was a little swept off my feet by the evening. The romance of the beach and all. But since it obviously meant nothing to either of us…”

 

Kara wanted to cry. She wanted to sit down and sob until she couldn’t feel anything ever again. Lena didn’t love her, didn’t even like her, and she had been an idiot, a stupid, puffed up, heroic, idiot thinking she cared for her. Kara took a deep breath. She couldn’t let Lena see her cry, she would die before she let the other woman know just how much the other night had meant to her.

 

She sucked in her breath and squared her shoulders before looking up to see Lena watching her with a hurt, shattered expression, that was hopeful—as if she was desperately praying Kara would deny what she had said.

 

Kara gave a hollow laugh. _Lena would never know how heartbroken she was._ “No you’re right. It meant nothing. But since Roulette’s no longer here, our mission is over, you can go now, no need to sleep your way through the ranks—unless of course that’s what you want—I know Luthors have a hard time doing anything else. The DEO and I will find Roulette, you can go back to L-Corp. We don’t need you _. I_ don’t need you.” Kara was surprised at the bite in her own words, she had never been cruel before, and besides the one time where she had been affected by red kryptonite, she didn’t know she could be so derisive. But her heart was thudding with something that felt very close to a shatter, and there was nothing in her mind except the urgent need to keep Lena from knowing exactly how much the other woman meant to her.

 

Lena’s heartbeat stopped for a second and she looked stung for a moment before her face assumed its usual sardonic mask. “Actually I was planning on going after Cadmus and Roulette myself, two birds with one stone.”

 

“Then go. I don’t care.” Kara scoffed, tears starting to well again behind her eyes. “I don’t care what happens to you. You’re a Luthor. I don’t care if I see you again.” She threw the last words out as she turned away to look out the windows, hoping Lena hadn’t noticed the wet marks trailing down her cheeks.

 

Lena watched her silently before finishing off another drink. “Cheer up Supergirl, Cadmus is dangerous. Maybe you’ll get your wish after all.” She said in a horrible, jeering tone as she walked past the hero into the hallway.

 

Spots danced in front of Kara’s eyes before the hero slumped onto the floor, hugging her knees to her chest and crying harder than she ever had before.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> right so this ended up becoming super long. I have the rest written but don't know if i should post it because holy fuck when did this become a novel? Anyways hope someone liked it, it was interesting to write


	9. Chapter 9

Kara was gaunt, pale. There were dark shadows under her eyes, though when anyone asked why, she gave a curt answer and walked away.

 

It had been three weeks since Kara had seen or heard from Lena. The CEO hadn’t reached out to her since that night in the hotel room.

 

Kara shook her head and balled her hands into fists. But it didn’t matter because she was _fine_. Completely and utterly fine.

 

So what if she had to stop herself from texting Lena when she saw an article that made her think of the CEO? So what if she grit her teeth and refused to listen for Lena’s all too familiar heartbeat? And so what she now walked four blocks out of her way so that she wouldn’t see the L-Corp logo on her way to work? Lena didn’t care about Kara, so why should the hero pretend to be anything other than fine.

 

Because she was fine, Kara reminded herself sternly. She was beyond fine, she was happy, great, super-duper.

 

She managed to convince herself of that all day long until she landed with a loud thud at the DEO after J’onn ordered her in over her comm link.

 

“What’s wrong?” she asked, striding up with her hands on her hips.

 

“Take a seat Supergirl” J’onn commanded, pointing to a chair nearby.

 

Kara flopped down suspiciously, eyeing her boss. “Is everything ok?” Her head swiveled around, Alex was standing nearby, so it couldn’t be anything with her sister, and she could hear Winn and James in the basement arguing over the newest guardian upgrade, so they were safe as well.

 

“We found Roulette.”

 

“Where?”

 

“Near the North end of the city, she was overseeing a shipment of anti-alien weaponry.” J’onn crossed his arms over his chest, and his voice was slow.

 

“This is a good thing right? Why are you all acting like someone died?”

 

J’onn and Alex made eye contact over Kara’s head.

 

Alex moved forward and put her hand on Kara’s shoulder. “Kara…when we brought her in for interrogation she mentioned Lena.”

 

Kara’s body seemed to collapse into her chair, her shoulders slumping. She put a hand over her pulse weakly, wishing it wouldn’t race so fast at just the mere mention of Lena’s name. “Let me guess, they were in league together the entire time” she said flatly, wondering how it was possible for her heart to break anymore than it had over the course of the last few days.

 

“Not exactly” J’onn rumbled, watching Kara closely.

 

“Then what?!” Kara exploded, slamming her fist into the table near her and immediately shattering the flimsy material into a million pieces. “Why even bring her up?” She was on the brink of tears, she didn’t know if she was angry or sad or hurt or some combination of all three, but she did know that she never wanted to hear Lena Luthor’s name ever again.

 

“Kara, Roulette said she’s been held by Cadmus for the past eighteen days.” Alex said gently, her eyes worried

 

“You honestly believe that?”

 

“The Intel we gathered—”

 

“The intel? You mean the Intel gathered from some half-insane gambler about someone who is the definition of selfishness?” Kara choked, “Why would Lena even go after Roulette to begin with? She’s too caught up in her own enjoyments to care about anyone else, there must have been some personal gain in it for her.”

 

J’onn and Alex exchanged another glance. There was a stony silence. Finally Alex spoke, her voice barely above a whisper. “She did it for you Kara.”

 

Kara’s throat tightened. She couldn’t hear this, she _wouldn’t_ hear this _._ Lena had made it very clear that last morning in the hotel that she didn’t see Kara as anything special. _Just another notch on her belt,_ Kara thought quietly. She couldn’t le her hopes up only to have them shattered again.

 

“Please Alex, I’m well aware of exactly how much I mean to Lena Luthor.”

 

“Look, Kara. I don’t know what happened between you two that one weekend. But I know how Lena looks at you, has always looked at you, and this…”Alex paused, pulled her tablet out, “She loves you Kara.”

 

Kara’s head spun and her heart felt like it was being pricked with a thousand needles. “No.” She pushed away the tablet, not wanting to see whatever it was that Alex thought was important.

 

“Winn verified the video Supergirl, it’s authentic. We were able to trace Cadmus’ location from it. There might still be time.” J’onn said softly.

 

_Still time?_ Kara’s mind whirled. _Still time for what? What were they afraid was going to happen?_ Almost against her will, Kara felt her eyes lock onto the tablet’s screen.

 

_Everything was completely black, expect for a single light trained on Lena. She was sitting in a metal chair, her hands tied tightly behind her back. There were bruises all over her neck and arms, and a small trickle of blood was seeping from a cut on her cheekbone._

_“How does Kara Danvers fit into all this?” A sharp voice asked, “You were at the resort together, she was helping you find Roulette.”_

_Lena stayed silent, and even in the grainy footage Kara could see that her face was a haughty blank._

_There was the sudden sound of electricity and Lena screamed._

_“Why did you take Kara Danvers to the resort? Is she working with Supergirl?”_

_“Fuck you.” Lena rasped, and despite the obvious pain in her voice, she still sounded confident._

_There was another flash of electricity and Kara had to close her eyes and look away after a few seconds because she didn’t know how Lena was even still alive after so much pain._

_“I’ll ask you one last time. Why was Kara Danvers there?”_

_Lena gasped for breath. The tights she had been wearing were singed and her body was battered._

_“Might-might as well kill me now, save yourself the trouble. I-I won’t talk.”_

_A cold, cruel laugh echoed through the video cam, and Kara instantly recognized it as Lillian Luthor’s._

_“Stubborn to the end I see. Well no matter. Pain isn’t the only way to get you to speak up.” Lillian’s high heels clicked as she moved slowly in front of Lena. “Do you know what this is?” she purred, crouching before her daughter, a glowing blue needle held in one hand. “It’s a truth serum. It’s very, very effective. Resist it, and it slowly eats at your body—your heart your lungs, all gone.” She stuck the needle into Lena’s neck with a forceful jab. “So you see daughter. You won’t be able to lie to me this time, and if you should even try, well…let’s just say the last few days are going to look like heaven compared to what’ll happen to you.”_

_“No!” Lena screamed, her eyes already glowing the same color as the serum._

_Lillian smiled. “Yes. Now tell me, why was Kara Danvers with you at the resort.”_

_Lena was trying to fight. Even through the tablet screen Kara could see that. She was writhing and flexing, but it was a loosing battle. After a few seconds she gasped, “Because I wanted her to be there with me.”_

_“Why?”_

_“Because she’s special.” Lena grit her teeth, “because I knew she didn’t like me but I wanted her too, so badly.”_

_“Pathetic.” Lillian said disappointed, but then drawing herself up she continued, “Come now Lena, you’re holding back, what else is there? Why not take her someplace else, why the resort?”_

_Lena struggled against the restraints around her wrists, the zip ties cutting into her skin painfully. “She—she cares about justice. She would have gone without me, and I wanted to keep her safe, she’s so innocent sometimes.”_

_Lena was answering Lillian’s questions as vaguely as possible, trying desperately to admit any truth but Supergirl’s real identity, even though she knew her mother would hold her feelings above her like a whip and attempt to wring every advantage out of them possible. Once Lillian figured out the extent of Lena’s feeling towards Kara the CEO wouldn’t have a chance, her mother would rip her to shreds until she broke her daughter from her heart outwards._

_Lena shivered, but she stared up defiantly at her mother. She would lay her feelings open, would risk any sort of pain if it meant keeping Kara safe. As long as Lillian thought she was just a reporter and not Supergirl, she wouldn’t bother with her._

_Liliian ran a hand through Lena’s dark hair, the gesture possessive and bone-chilling. “So you like this reporter hmm?” she gave a wicked sneer, “tell me does she like you back? Did your little plan work?”_

_“No” Lena said quietly, looking away._

_“What was that? I didn’t quiet hear you? I said does she feel the same way?”_

_“No!” Lena shouted, her chest heaving. “She loves someone else, I heard her say it to him.”_

_Lillian’s smile deepened. “Poor Lena, no one ever wants you do they?” Lena’s head bobbed up and down, the serum forcing her to answer even this most rhetorical question._

_A sickly sweet giggle erupted from Lillian’s throat. “Well that’s one lesson I’m glad I taught you. But if your little reporter friend doesn’t like you, then why did you keep following Roulette and Cadmus afterwards, clearly you know you are unlovable, so why even try? Did you really think you could win her over by catching us?”_

_Lena fought with everything she had against the bonds, her mother’s voice, the poison racing through her veins. She screamed so loud and long her voice gave out and her body shook in tremor after tremor._

_“Because I love her,” she finally whispered, her voice so hoarse it was barely audible._

_Lillian reached up and grabbed Lena’s collar, forcing her daughter to stare her in the eyes. “No one will ever love you.” She hissed before throwing Lena back and storming out of the room._

 

The screen went blank as the footage came to an end. Kara was numb. How could she have been so blind? Lena who woke up in the middle of the night to go to the DEO for every one of Supergirl’s calls. Lena who brought her breakfast in bed and held her long into the night to comfort her when Kara woke up with nightmares. Lena who risked everything to come to her aide with no expectations for anything in return. Kara’s heart dived, Why no one did those sorts of things unless they loved someone to distraction!

 

Kara stood up. “Where are they?”

 

“You can’t go, it could be a trap. And Lena…Kara there’s no way she survived that.” J’onn said in his most authoritative tone.

 

But Kara walked past him and grabbed the tablet from Alex’s hands, reading the GPS coordinates off the screen.

 

“Wait! Kara!”

 

But Kara was already flying away. Lena loved her and Kara had been too much of an idiot to see it. She had laughed at the CEO and thrown her emotions in her face, and been so cruel to someone who had only ever known rejection from love in her life.

 

As she sped past National city Kara thought of the way Lena had looked the last time she’d seen her, shattered and on the verge of tears but too proud to ever let Kara know it. A sudden horrible thought nearly knocked her out of the air, the last time she’d seen Lean she’d told her she didn’t care if she’d ever see the CEO again.

 

The hero grit her teeth. It couldn’t end like this, she wouldn’t let it. She had to get there in time, she had to save Lena, she had to let the other woman know just how much she cared about her.


	10. Chapter 10

Everything was dark. Lena’s head lolled drunkenly as she tried to regain her focus.

 

_Stay awake_ , her mind begged, knowing that if she drifted off she might never wake up again.

 

She was still sitting in the metal chair, hands still tied behind her, electrodes still attached to her wrists.

 

In all honesty Lena was surprised she wasn’t dead. Two weeks of torture, two weeks of hearing Lillian’s words rattle through her consciousness until every fiber of her being felt invaded by the sound of her mother’s voice.

 

Lena gave a dark chuckle, too battered to wince at the way the grin stretched her spilt lip. _Two weeks alone_. Supergirl wasn’t coming, and either didn’t want to come or hadn’t even noticed her absence yet.

 

_Because she doesn’t care about you,_ Lena’s mind sneered, or was that her mother’s voice?

 

It didn’t matter. Some part of Lena’s brain—the rational, left sided part that knew that tinfoil shouldn’t go in the microwave and that business deals were always closed faster with a few drinks—recognized that this couldn’t go on much longer. Lillian had gotten everything she could out of Lena, her daughter was just dead weight now.

 

As if on cue, Lena heard the sound of a door open behind her and smelled the overwhelming vanilla and flower perfume of her mother.

 

“Mother” she mumbled, bruised face trying to smirk.

 

Lillian stepped into the light, her eyes cold. “You’re not my daughter.”

 

Lena laughed croakily, her head tipping back heavily. “Thank god for that.”

 

There was a sharp slap across her face, and Lena tried to hide her wince. Lillian grabbed her chin in one hand, forcing Lena to look up at her. “Supergirl’s on her way, our radars picked her up about five minuets ago. She should be here any second.”

 

Lillian watched the hope spring up behind Lena’s eyes, her hand still cupped around her daughter’s chin.

 

She smiled sweetly. “Too bad you won’t be here to see it.”

 

There was a sudden sharp pain in Lena’s side, and she stared helplessly into Lillian’s ice blue eyes as her mother pulled the knife from between her ribs.

 

Lillian laughed. “Do you think she’ll tell your little reporter friend how she found you? All alone in a small box, covered in blood and vomit?” She leaned over and cut the bonds holding Lena, the CEO collapsing onto the floor. “God I wish Lex were here to see this. You always were a disappointment.”

 

Lena blinked up at the ceiling, hearing her mother slam the door behind her faintly.

 

“So were you” Lena gurgled, a tired smile lighting up her pale face at the thought that Lillian was never able to pull Supergirl’s identity from her.

 

Lena coughed, and choked on liquid. She raised a limp hand to her mouth and pulled it away bloody. She let it fall to the next to her with a thud, her eyes swimming as she saw the door only a few feet away from her but which she knew she was too weak to reach.

 

The room seemed to be getting colder, and there was a shallow rasping that took Lena a few moments to realize was her own breathing.

 

A boom and the sound of breaking concrete sounded somewhere in the distance. Lena smiled and spluttered more blood out at the sound of bullets ricocheting off Kara’s invincible chest. _Kara_

 

She could feel a warm puddle forming beneath her.

 

_I hope Kara doesn’t find me like this_ , she thought, mind wandering. She turned her head to the side where the noises were coming from, cheek resting on the concrete flooring. _At least this way I won’t have to go through another day pretending to be ok. I won’t have to sit at my desk working to exhaustion just so I won’t t think of Kara’s blue eyes._ Lena tried to swallow, it was almost a relief to know she won’t have to go through that ever again, that for the first time in weeks her heart would finally stop aching.

 

There was a weak crash as Kara broke her way through the cell’s walls. Lena saw a pair of familiar red boots rush towards her.

 

She gave a slow smile. “Supergirl. You know that’s not really an entrance” Lena joked weakly, mind flashing back to all the times Kara had landed on her balcony.

 

“Lena!” Suddenly Kara was there beside her, strong arms wrapped around her securely. Lena wished she could feel them better, but everything seemed far away, heavy.

 

She groaned when Kara tried to lift her, side growing warm and wet.

 

“Oh god, Lena. It’s ok, I’ll get you out of here. It’ll be ok.”

 

Kara’s voice sounded so far away. Lena tried to reach a hand up to cup her face. Her fingers brushed against the hero’s cheek before falling away, Kara quickly catching them and pressing them back into place against her skin.

 

“I can’t Kara.” Lena tried to find Kara’s eyes, but everything was growing darker. “thank you for saving me again.”

 

“No, Lena, we’re going to make it, _you’re_ going to make it.”

 

Lena clucked her tongue, her words thick, barely audible “Everyone—everyone says goodbye eventually, sometimes its just sooner than we think.”

 

Kara sobbed, “please, no, Lena—”

 

Lena couldn’t feel anything anymore, even the pain in her side was barely there, more like a soft tugging than anything else. “I’m—I’m sorry” she choked, “I’m glad I got to see you one last time.” Her eyes closed, or could she not see anymore? She was vaguely aware of her chest screaming for oxygen but knew that her lungs weren’t inflating anymore.

 

“Lena? Lena no! Please, oh god please no. I love you. Please. Come back to me, I love you.”

 

Lena felt herself slip away, slowly into darkness.

 

“I love you.”


	11. Chapter 11

There was a strange beeping in her ears.

 

_The hell is that?_ Lena thought groggily. She tried to open her eyes but immediately shut them again as a wave of nausea crashed over her. _This is either the worst hangover or_ ….Lena’s mind finally came back up to speed and she remembered everything in a flash, the truth serum, Lillian’s knife, Supergirl….

 

Lena’s eyes snapped open. Supergirl!

 

Kara had said that she loved her. Lena’s chest ached at the thought. Her gaze flickered over the room, taking in the obscene amount of flowers littering every surface of her hospital room, and resting finally on Kara.

 

The heart rate monitor near her bed beeped frantically.

 

Kara was curled up in a small armchair, her clothes helplessly wrinkled, her glasses askew, a small mountain of vending machine wrappers sitting next to her.

 

Lena smiled softly. “Ka-kara” she tried to say, her voice still weak. But the hero didn’t budge, her snores steady.

 

Lena tried again, but her voice was still too quiet. A frown laced itself between her eyebrows. She felt a sudden rush of helplessness before remembering that she was Lena Luthor, CEO of L-Corp. It was going to take a lot more than some hospital tubing to keep her away from what she wanted.

 

With a tug, she started pulling the wires from her, desperately untangling herself from the mountain of machinery attached to her. She saved the heart rate monitor for last, knowing once she pulled that out she’d have only seconds before a RN rushed in.

 

Finally she freed herself and slowly, gently, stood up. She gasped and nearly fell over, but she grit her teeth and took two steps forward before reaching out and tucking a strand of hair behind Kara’s ear. Behind her she could hear her machines beeping madly.

 

“Kara.”

 

The hero opened her eyes sleepily before burrowing her head back into the armchair. “Mmph. Five more minuets Lena.” Then as if registering what she’d just saw and said, her eyes snapped open. “Lena!”

 

There was a swoosh of air and before Lena knew what was happening she was cradled in Kara’s arms as the hero carried her back to bed. “you’re awake! I mean what’re you doing up, you shouldn’t leave your bed, you could’ve been hurt,” but as stern as Kara looked there was a smile on her face that she couldn’t hide.

 

Lena rolled her eyes, “I’m fine.”

 

“you—“

 

“What in the name of god is going on here!” a nurse screeched before rushing over to Kara and forcibly putting Lena back on the bed and attaching her back to every single machine with a series of mumbled curses.

 

It took a few minuets, but Lena watched Kara the entire time, smiling at the hero’s mumbled apologies to the nurse and the way she stared determinedly down at the floor every time she caught Lena’s eye.

 

Lena frowned, maybe she had been wrong.

 

“If you do anything like that again, I’ll sedate you so heavily you won’t even remember your own name.” the nurse growled as the last tube was re-attached.

 

As soon as she left the room, Lena turned her attention back to Kara.

 

“How long was I out?” she finally asked, not really caring, but afraid to ask the question she really wanted to hear answered.

 

“Um, you’ve been in and out for about a week now. After Lillian” Kara shuddered and restarted “after I found you, I flew you back to the DEO. They didn’t think you could be fixed, you’d been medically dead for a minute. Alex convinced them to try though, and it worked, you’re ok now, I mean you’ll always have a scar but other than that no lasting effects—”

 

“Kara. Look at me?” Lena said softly

 

Kara looked up slowly, her blue eyes full of tears.

 

“Did you man what you said?”

 

“Y-yes. I mean maybe some of the bruises will hurt but they should heal after a few weeks and—“

 

Lena groaned. “No. I mean, do you love me?”

 

Kara’s breath came out in a whoosh. “Yes.” She said softly. “but I understand if you don’t want that, after everything.” She shook her head.

 

Lena’s heart rate monitor nearly exploded. She reached her hand out and gently grabbed Kara’s own. The hero looked up surprised, her eyes meeting Lena’s with such a rush of emotion that Lena had to catch her breath.

 

“I’ve always loved you Kara, from the first time I saw you step into my office. And I always will.”

 

Kara smiled so widely her cheeks hurt before rushing in and kissing Lena. It was soft and gentle and every atom of Lena’s being screamed in protest at the pain behind wrapping her arm around Kara’s neck, but she didn’t care, she’d never felt anything so amazing her entire life. There was a faint tug as Lena pulled Kara onto the bed with her, grinning at the hero’s surprised grunt.

 

They pulled apart after a moment, Kara holding Lena’s hand as they lay facing each other, bodies pushed closely together.

 

Kara kissed Lena’s forehead. “Always?”

 

Lena scooted in closer, breathing in Kara’s smell and smiling because she knew she would never have to say goodbye again.

 

“Always.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ah just when you thought things couldn't get cheesier or more melodramatic I had to go and write this. Bleh. Thanks for all the comments everyone, hope it wasn't too horrendous and the ending was happy enough to make up for all the angst. You all are the best!


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